Counterfeit Balance
by TheDarkBecomesYou
Summary: General Armitage Hux learns the hard way that meddling with a bunch of Force users is a bad idea. . . Especially when they're in love. (A Reylo story told through the eyes of the First Order Ginger General) Disclaimer: If you have an issue with Reyux (which also happens in this story) then I suggest you move along. . .
1. Chapter 1

He had never seen her before. The girl. _THE_ girl. The one that had alluded the First Order for nearly a year. The one that had caused him so many sleepless nights. The one whose name he's cursed so many times when they had arrived at a location only to find her gone. Not to mention what she has done to Kylo Ren.

She managed to turn him into a sniveling, weak, child. Not that he wasn't pathetic before. But she has made it that much more visible. The Supreme Leader was unimpressed with how Ren had begged her to join him. And Kylo Ren had been severely punished for his desperation.

Now, looking at her he wasn't quite sure what to make of her. She was pretty, not enough to draw much undue attention. She was far too thin, he decided, but those eyes burned with menace, and that gaze bore into him.

In fact, even now as she glared up at him, her wrists in tight binders, he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was the one who should be afraid. She hadn't said a word since she had been brought on board. She had simply sat there, her eyes closed and her breathing even. It wasn't until he had moved from the doorway to stand directly in front of her that she opened her eyes and looked up.

"Comfortable?" The question was stupid. He felt stupid. He wasn't quite sure what else to say, but he felt the need to say something. Anything to break the awkward tension. But something about her hazel eyes left him feeling at a loss for words.

She huffed, rolling her eyes and turned her head to the side to stare at the wall.

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something he would regret. It was then he noticed the shiver. She kept so still he barely noticed it but then when he examined her, he saw the goosebumps and the almost indiscriminate movement as she tried to hide her shaking. He did the only sensible thing he could possibly do, and that was to unbutton his own crisp black overcoat and gently drape it over her shoulders.

"You will not touch her." Kylo Ren's voice came from directly behind him. The modulator always made him sound more imposing than he deserved.

The General snapped his head around to see Ren standing in the doorway, "I was merely making the pris- our guest more comfortable." He could almost see the sneer under the mask.

Kylo Ren said nothing else for the remainder of their short flight back to the Finalizer. He stood silently in the doorway examining the girl. His gaze never left her. All the while she refused to acknowledge Ren or the General.

But the General noted that she did not shrug off his coat. And even so, after a few moments, she seemed to settle into it, accepting the warmth.

The General felt the cold space air around him, but for some reason, this time, it didn't bother him like it usually did.

The tractor beam gently pulled in the cruiser to the docking bay as the automatic landing gear deployed. The landing was particularly smooth in the small cruiser which set down with an almost imperceptible jostle.

It was then that the General realized someone was speaking to him and he hadn't heard.

"Sir?" The officer repeated.

The General looked up, "Yes Kanis?"

"Would you like the prisoner taking to the holding block or-"

"No," the General waved his hand dismissively as he stood, "have her brought to the interrogation room. But," He turned to look at her, he could almost smell her fear. "please make her comfortable."

"Binders?" Captain Kanis asked with apprehension. The captain glanced from the prisoner, Rey, back to the General. All of his men were wary of the girl. They'd no doubt heard a great deal about her. He wondered how much of it was true and how much of it is was rumors. The men hadn't seen Kylo Ren's face, or maybe the two stormtroopers that were with the General the night of the destruction of Star Killer base have told others what the girl had done to Ren's face, not to mention his ego.

The General took a moment to stand and stretch, then turned his attention back to the captain. "I think binders are appropriate in this case. However, they ought to be the padded ones. And the specialty binders we discussed earlier."

Captain Kanis nodded, retrieving the specialty binders from his utility pouch and took a step towards the girl. She stiffened, and the General worried for a moment that she would put up a fight. But she then lifted her wrists allowing the Captain to fashion another set of binders over her already bound arms. These binders though, the General reminded himself are much more durable and are made special for those who are force sensitive. Something about the alloy inside them that reacts to the Force, that strange mystic energy Kylo Ren is always rambling on about. Even the Supreme leader believes in this ancient power. The General doesn't give a damn as long as the binders hold when the girl starts to fight. And he is sure she will fight.

He noticed as an afterthought that the girl was still wearing his coat.

The hallways of the First Order ship known as the Finalizer were well lit even if the interior colors were all shiny gray plastetic. The General's shoes made sharp clicking noises as he led the procession down to the small interrogation room, the more comfortable one. Why they had a comfortable interrogation room was beyond many of the Stormtrooper's understanding. They have it to provide a false sense of security.

Kylo Ren was not far behind. He loomed in the background, still not speaking, unusual for the man who used to have snide comments and loathsome remarks to every word that left the General's lips. Now he is simply a phantom, but the General is not that stupid. He could tell the two of them. Ren and the girl, they were communicating in some way.

Whether through their body language or perhaps, he thought laughably, through some psychic connection. The General could smell fear; he was born into fear, he knows the stench. They both radiate it now. But also, there is a feeling of peace and calm about each of them that the General cannot quite explain.

Then he felt that ghostly brush against his mind. The signature was unmistakable. It was the girl. She was trying to speak with him now. If he would only let her in. But he knows better; he wouldn't be fooled by her pathetic attempts to entreat him for her life. He doesn't have the authority to take her life anyway. That was for the Supreme Leader to decide.

 _Please, I need to tell you something._

The General brushed her ghostly touch away with the running of his fingers through his hair. And he felt the word more than heard it.

 _Soft._

How did she? She must be so much more powerful than he realized to be strong enough to reach out to him with her mind even while wearing the binders. And all that effort must take its toll. He'd seen those same binders around Ren's wrists, and he shuddered to think of how weak Ren looked in them. He pretended that the feelings didn't perturb him as he gestured to the interrogation seat in the center of the room. The chair was more of a standing platform with a back, lined with thick black straps and metal. It looked like a torture chamber.

The General reached out, gliding his coat off of the girl's shoulders and folded it over his arm. He couldn't help but wonder if his coat would smell like her. And if it did, what she might smell like. But then, he realized, somehow she had heard his thoughts, and he felt his face turning crimson and Ren's gaze falling on him. He brushed it all away. He is a General, and he commands respect.

"Please," he nodded at the girl and then turned his head towards the chair. She glared at him as she quietly moved toward the chair and just when she was about to seat herself she turned to the General, lunging her arms and baring her teeth.

If it were not for the reinforced binders, the General was fairly certain that she would have used her force powers to immobilize him. But he is not just a General; he is also a soldier. He moved, darting out of the way with ease and dropping his coat in the same motion. He then grabbed her arm and spinning her back against him using her own momentum. With her back up against him, he found that she wasn't as skinny as he had first thought. Perhaps she was all just lean muscle.

He also found that he stands at least a full head taller than her as he leaned in close, whispering in her ear, "We can do this the easy way. Or the unpleasant way. Which would you prefer my dear?"

She stiffened against him, almost a dead weight. At that moment he felt Ren take a half-step in their direction and then stop. The useless oaf.

The General moved his free hand underneath her chin, tipping her up and to the left so he can see her face.

"Well?"

If looks could kill, he supposed he would be already lying dead on the floor in a slow pooling puddle of his own blood. But her looks can't kill. Not with those binders on. He wondered if she's realized the full magnitude of her situation yet.

"I won't tell you anything," she grinded out, baring her teeth at him again. Rather like a feral cat. Of course, the General was used to cats. He knows how to win their affection. He felt his lips quirk up in an unexpected smirk and can't help but laugh.

The sound was so foreign to him he's almost surprised it came out of his body. The girl was surprised too, but for some reason, the laugh, almost a boyish one, sets her at ease and she seemed to loosen.

"I'm not going to ask you anything. . ." he smiled as he gazed down at her. "yet." Her almond-shaped eyes were a beautiful hazel, and the speckled green was almost glowing. He shook his head. At least it explained a little bit about how she already exercised such influence over Ren. Just being near her was enough to change the atmosphere. Or rather, to charge it.

He pulled her toward the chair and then, without any warning, he scooped her up and into his arms and placed her on the heavy metal platform. He bent over her, securing the straps on her legs and then detaching the binders, so they lock into place on the board. She still wore the specialty binders; those wouldn't be coming off at all during her stay on the Finalizer. The General rechecked the straps once more to ensure they were locked tight.

He could feel the seething form of Kylo Ren behind him. His voice is mangled by the sound of the modulator, "I think you can go now General."

"Oh? Do you _think_ now Ren?" The insult was childish, but at that point, the General really didn't care.

It was then that the doors slid open and in glided the form of one of Kylo Ren's knights, Siorsha Ren. She was clothed all in black with her mask in place, no artificial voice modulator though, she did not need one to make her voice sound intimidating.

"The Supreme Leader has requested to speak with you, Lord Ren." She paused, and then turned to the General, "And he requests that the General stay to observe our guest. She is not to leave the General's side. She is also to be placed in the extra quarters connected to the General's suite as per the Supreme Leader's request."

He could feel the rage emanating off of Kylo Ren as he looked at the General and barked, "You will not touch her again." He then storms out of the interrogation room without another word.

Siorsha Ren inclined her head, "General, would you like me to take our guest to your suite or were you in the process of beginning an interrogation?"

The General hesitated, for only a moment. Then scooped his coat from the floor and made a show of dusting it off.

"I think she can sit for awhile." He waved a hand at the Stormtroopers and Siorsha Ren, "I will comm you when I believe we are through. Then I will have you escort the guest to her quarters. For now, I will just have the sentry at the door. And Siorsha, See to it that Lord Ren is kept busy."

He smiled to himself as Siorsha Ren, and the Stormtroopers made their way out the room.

"Well?" He said as he leaned against the interrogation chair, his face close hers. He could see her bristle again. He was slightly embarrassed by how much he enjoyed watching her squirm.

He cocked an eyebrow up, "Well? What was it you wanted to tell me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Counterfeit Balance

Chapter 2: 

The General was not a foolish man; he has interrogated many ruffians and smugglers in his time and not a one has withstood his tactics. Many had crumbled before he even brought out his instruments. But not her, she's different. He can't quite place it, but she seems to be affecting him.

The girl did not appear the least bit worried about her predicament. Instead she fixed him with the most enticing smile, all white teeth, and soft eyes. Luminous and bright, just like her energy. He was not fooled. He could see the hatred in her eyes. Beneath the outer shell, she portrayed. He could feel it too, palpable in the cold interrogation room. Like a knife twisting in his gut.

"I wanted to tell you," She fluttered her lashes, though the General supposed she probably didn't know what she was doing. "You've already lost. And you don't even realize it."

He smiled at that. Quick wit, a bit brash, but she was nothing if not entertaining. "A fool I might be. Please, my dear, enlighten me. I implore you." He did love a little banter.

She smirked, guileful in her response. She somehow thinks she has the upper hand and to the General, this is a bad sign. He wavered for a fraction of a moment and then matched her grin. Two could play at this game.

"Kylo Ren is no more," she said, her voice full of sincerity. "Ben Solo will make Snoke bow before him. And then you."

Ah, the girl was trying to say that Kylo Ren was under her spell perhaps? The General felt the strongest urge to roll his eyes, but instead, he let his gloved hand trail down the side of her cheek, almost tenderly. She was foolish to give away her position so quickly and even before he had truly begun to question her.

"Ren would be unwise to deny you anything." What had made him say that? "As would I." There he went again.

Space was a lonely place. And one rarely had the opportunity for intimacy of any kind. Regardless of what others might think, it had been a long time for the General. Too long.

Her brow furrowed, her stare holding his. "Say that again General?"

He smiled, "Forgive me, that was uncalled for." He replied, tipping his head in apology. "I suppose you think that Kylo Ren has changed? That you have made him a better man. But my dear, I must tell you. I don't believe even _you_ could change him."

Her glare seemed to deepen, her mouth moving into a firm line. "You don't know him like I do."

This was a surprising response, considering it was only the second time Ren had encountered the girl. What had happened between them on Starkiller, he mused.

"And exactly how well do you know him?" He pressed, lifting her chin up. His thoughts were a muss with the many ways that Ren might've seen her again. But how? How could they speak? Through the Force like she had spoken to him? Was it possible to talk across space though?

Some sort of telepathic connection would be the only way for Ren to speak with her unnoticed. The General had all of Ren's communication closely monitored. He was not quite as paranoid as his father had been, but he knew enough to be wary of Kylo Ren and the potential for accidental deaths of high ranking First Order officers. He knew enough to believe that Ren had not contacted the Resistance, Supreme Leader Snoke would have been aware of his apprentice's actions as he was mindful of Kylo Ren's thoughts.

Then a truly wicked idea emerged from his tangled mess of thoughts. Perhaps something had happened during the interrogation? Perhaps Ren had freed the girl himself and allowed her to escape? Maybe it was all some clever ruse for him to aid the Resistance. How easy was it for Ren to shift his loyalty from Snoke? Did it only take a pair of pretty dark eyes?

"Did something happen between you on Starkiller base when Kylo Ren questioned you?" His voice slightly quavering.

At that she widened her eyes, mouth parting. That had to be it. She had seduced the imbecile, and now he thought he could have her if he would only defeat Snoke. It was the only thing that made any sense.

"That's it, isn't it?" His smile broadened at the look of fear lancing through her expressions. "You seduced him. You made him think he was special to you. Anyone can see that all he wants is affection. Even from a desert scavenger like you." The words came flying out before he realized what he had said. Her lips began to tremble and eyes watered. He had insulted her.

He knew the noble parentage of Kylo Ren and the real name that Snoke had forbidden them to speak, even before she told him. But this girl, he didn't know anything about her but what he had pulled up in the First Order's private holonet documents.

She was a nobody. Descended from a pair of drunken pieces of trash, who all too appropriately had died in the Jakku desert. But he could gather from his training exactly how this information might hurt her. Abandoned and alone. She grew up on a desert planet and must've had to do many things to survive. Vile things.

His head pounded, the thought that this delicate creature had possibly endured unwanted advances, starvation and constant thirst drove him to the resolution that he would take more care in the cleaning up of the poor outlying planets.

She quaked at him, fury building. He thought she might cry as he saw her glistening eyes shift focus and land on the door. And then she turned to look back at the General, and she spat. The feel of her warm saliva hitting his forehead and sliding down his nose was enough to infuriate him. It was warm and wet as it slid down, providing him with a unbidden image of what else might be warm and wet. If he didn't find a courtesan at his next planet side visit, he might have to find a willing officer onboard to obtain some release. He took one black-gloved hand and wiped her spit from his face and when he spoke it was with visible irritation.

"I'd proceed with great caution, my dear. You may think that Kylo Ren will help you escape once he defeats the Supreme Leader, but I think you have seriously overestimated his strength. Snoke is not some half-witted stormtrooper." She sneered up at him, her lips puckering. The General found it far too appealing.

Before he realized what had happened he had pressed his mouth to her lips with such force he felt she could barely breathe. He forced her mouth open with his tongue, thrusting into her as much as he could. Her mouth was sweet, her lips were firm, and her teeth could snap, biting at his tongue until she drew blood.

He pulled back at that, yelping incoherent curse words in every language he knew as he drew his fist up to his lips. The throbbing pain making his head swim. He had been irrational. And he had paid for it.

Her eyes flashed with dangerous mirth, and her lips split into a cruel smile. She chucked as her hand rose and made a vulgar gesture in his direction. Through the pain, he realized he might enjoy watching her crude behavior even more in his private chamber. But he would not end on a note where she had the upper hand and though he knew he had made an embarrassing display, he had to regain his composure.

Even through his painfully swollen tongue, he managed to say, "I suppose I should alert the Supreme Leader to the possibility of Kylo Ren's disloyalty and your alliance." He was barely able to quirk a grin before he turned and strode out the door to inform his master.

The General's heart thudded in his chest as he let the door slide closed behind him. The hammering of his head and the raw aching of his tongue made him feel faint. What in the stars had driven him to kiss her? He knew she was only the unwanted spawn of some drunken letches. He supposed, not entirely unlike himself. He is also an unwanted child. _Was._ His father and mother no longer lived. Much like the girl. He was better off without them.

But the kiss.

But he had never, ever done anything like that before. He had never used his power to take anything from a woman. Usually, if he had wanted a woman and she was uninterested, he found his admiration quickly developed into disdain. Of course, they didn't want him. Who would? His mother certainly hadn't. But this girl. She was different. She seemed to want Kylo Ren. Pathetic. He was the superior man, a General nonetheless. In her time here, she would see.

He knew he had to get to the Supreme Leader and warn him about Kylo Ren. It was part of his duty. But what would happen to the girl if Snoke found out about her relationship with Ren? Ren would most definitely be punished but what would happen to her?

If he was not careful how he treads he might lose her. He considered it for a moment. He wasn't afraid to lose people. He'd lost many. But, the idea of losing her before she had truly known him struck a chord deep inside him. He wanted her to know him, before she was gone.

He quickly made his way to his office where he commed the Supreme Leader. They were set to rendezvous with the Supremacy within the next few days, and he would have to face the Supreme Leader in person. He was thankful now for the distance between himself and the grisly blue visage that responded to his call.

"General Hux," Snoke answered immediately. "I did not expect you to finish your interrogation so soon."

"Supreme Leader," he bowed slightly, he had always maintained the appearance of an oily rat, Snoke liked his servants to appear sniveling and weak. The General knew that if he were to rise to leader of Grand Admiral, he would have to grovel a bit.

"What have you learned from the Scavenger?"

He hesitated for a moment, but it was a moment too long. Snoke could probably already see the sweat beading on his forehead even through the warbled blue holocall.

"General," Snoke commanded with a tone meant to instill fear. "Tell me."

The General felt it then the tug and tightening around his throat, the compulsion to tell Snoke everything. He hated this method. The one where Snoke would pry into him with the Force. He had learned to fight it; the girl had caught him off guard when she had spoken into his mind. He wouldn't let that happen again. But Snoke, he only had to think certain things, Snoke could read his emotions, but that did not mean he could accurately interpret them.

"The girl seems to believe that Kylo Ren has defected and is now loyal to her."

The harsh chuckle that drifted across the holocall was cold and unamused.

"Supreme Leader, she believes that Kylo Ren will try to assassinate you."

The Supreme Leader's gaze did not falter, he merely pursed his lips and nodded. "Kylo Ren's loyalty is unquestioned. He is still weak, but she is nothing to him. She is not worthy of his notice."

It is the General's turn to frown. "Supreme Leader, I believe you underestimate her. She is—"

"She is NOTHING," Snoke's voice boomed over the holocall. "A mere girl could not exercise such control over Kylo Ren. I will see to my apprentice and assure his loyalty. Then he will demonstrate it by killing the girl."

"Supreme Leader, I do believe the girl could be of more use to us alive," he protested.

Again the Supreme Leader let out one of his slow laughs, "You are as foolish and easily manipulated as Kylo Ren."

His face burned, he had gone from pale to crimson. He was being transparent. Imprudent indeed. "I suppose, you are right. She is nothing. But if she were to hold Kylo Ren enthrall then killing her might only push him deeper into despair. As you have seen, he has no stomach for patricide. He has too much compassion, and if he is to remain loyal, he must also see you as benevolent."

Snoke did not respond, he simply stared at the General, his small eyes unblinking.

"I apologize Supreme Leader," he rushed to end the call as quickly as possible. "I only wished to alert you to the information I received from the girl and not to question you."

Invisible hands stretched out and tightened around his throat. Constricting, cutting off the air. He gasped. Heaved. Nothing. He couldn't breathe.

Snoke nodded, "see to it you think before you speak next time. See to the girl. I want her to feel comfortable before she is executed. Though I will take precautions. You are not to let the girl out of your sight. And she is never to be alone with Kylo Ren. Do you understand?"

A few more seconds and he would likely pass out from lack of oxygen. The hand suddenly released its grip, and he slumped where he stood. Perhaps this was better than nothing. He had a little time before they rendezvoused with the Supremacy which meant he had time to come up with a plan.

"Yes, Supreme Leader," he bowed once more, his hand lightly touching his tender neck and ended the holocall. Then he turned on his heel and made his way back to the interrogation room.

As he neared the door, he felt the presence of Kylo Ren fall in step next to him.

"I was told you were still interrogating the prisoner," Kylo Ren stated. "Yet, I find you out here."

"And? What of it?" The General's irritation was evident. "Where I was is of no concern to you."

"I suppose," Ren's voice had an obvious smirk to his tone. "Was the girl too much for you?"

Something about the way he said it, the General knew Ren was aware of the kiss. The General felt the rush of blood to his face as he balked. How?

"What General? Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue?" Ren nearly barked out a laugh.

"At least the girl hasn't escaped under my surveillance," was the only thing the General could think to say in reply.

"I suppose. But we haven't seen the interrogation room yet." Ren replied.

They walked the rest of the way in silence and found the Stormtroopers still standing guard to the entrance of the interrogation room. The General entered first with Ren close behind. The girl was still there. Thankfully.

She glared at the General, but her eyes instantly softened as they took in the tall form of Kylo Ren. Again, she seemed to be speaking to him. This was not a good sign. Not at all.

Kylo Ren didn't speak. He didn't move. He just watched her. The General felt as if he was an unwelcome observer to some intimate discussion as he looked from Ren back to the girl. Finally, he decided this had gone on long enough.

"I am to take you to your chambers now," the General said. At this, the girl finally looked at him. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she nearly growled.

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, my dear," he replied. "I will take you to your chambers. How you get, there is entirely up to you. You can walk. Or you can be carried. Which would you prefer?"

She pursed her lips and didn't respond. She kept glancing back up at Ren, her hazel eyes shimmering with something unspoken. Or rather, something the General couldn't hear. Just being in the same room as these two was enough to convince him that the girl had been telling him the truth. Ren was usually so snarky and condescending. But in front of the girl, he was like a giant puppy. Stupid and much too eager to please.

The girl finally took a deep breath and said, "I will walk."

The General noticed something then. A charge in the air. What if he was in danger with these two? Perhaps Ren was thinking of whisking the girl away before they met with the Supremacy? He would be reckless enough to cut down anyone in his path. He had to be cautious. Never let the girl out of his sight indeed.

He bent to undo the straps binding her to the interrogation table and slowly released her. "Please step down, and I will escort you out. Kylo Ren will come with us if that makes you feel more comfortable." He tried to show her with his eyes that he was ashamed of his earlier behavior, he tried to give her a look that communicated his apology.

If she could read his eyes or his thoughts, she did not so much as indicate it with any response. She merely followed his direction and stepped down off the platform. She trailed the General to the door, her eyes on the tall, dark figure of Kylo Ren the entire time.

The General, Kylo Ren, and the girl walked in slow, quiet steps to the General's quarters. It was a long walk from the interrogation room, and the General was thankful for the six stormtroopers that surrounded them. He certainly did not feel safe with Kylo Ren there. And soon he would be the only thing between Ren and the girl. His mind whirred as he tried to think of how he would deal with the assassination attempt. Would it be better to let Snoke fall? Would Ren try to take up the mantle of Supreme Leader or would he run away with the girl to the Resistance? He couldn't fathom Ren choosing to give up the opportunity to seize power. But perhaps love was more important to him now?

A girl like that. This girl. Would she be worth losing all that power?

He barely registered that he had reached the entrance to his quarters. He pressed in the access code, making sure that Ren couldn't see. But of course, he could probably just pull it from the General's thoughts as he typed it in. The idea was unnerving.

The door slid open, and the General gestured for the girl. "After you," he said. She glanced back at Ren who nodded once, and she did as the General bade.

As she strode into the chamber, she let out a small gasp as the lights flickered on and she was able to take in the room. The General followed her, allowing her to have some space. He noticed that Ren entered as well behind him before the door slid closed. The stormtroopers would be stationed outside the door for the rest of time the girl was with them. But he didn't enjoy the feeling that Ren was on the wrong side of the door.

He and Ren watched quietly as the girl seemed to light up as she took in the many plants that decorated the room. The General prided himself on being able to cultivate plants. He had a collection of rare plants from various planets. His room also held the best view on the entire ship as his windows allowed for star viewing.

"These are beautiful," the girl breathed as she reached up her pair of cuffed hands to stroke a hanging plant.

"Well, that one is a candlewick plant from Alderaan," the General replied quietly. "In fact, it should open within the hour. They are quite a sight to behold."

Ren seemed to note the General differently as well. "I didn't know you were a gardener," his voice through the modulator was no longer mocking. Just surprised.

"I believe it is important for people to cultivate interests. As an amateur botanist one can learn quite a bit about other cultures, languages, medicine, and even lost planets."

"How did you acquire a plant from Alderaan?" The girl broke into their discussion.

"That is quite a long story," The general replied. "But in short, I have an excellent supplier who is under strict instruction to secure any plant life or seedlings from Alderaan."

The General heard Ren's breathing hitch. "Why Alderaan?" He asked.

"Because, I hold quite a fascination regarding the monarchy of Alderaan," the General smiled, turning to look at Ren. "You know what they say. _Know thy enemy_."

Just then the petals of candlewick began to glow with luminescence as the flower opened revealing the orange and gold petals inside. The girl gasped with delight.

"I've never seen anything like them!" She cried gleefully as she smiled back at the General. "They're beautiful!" It was a genuine smile and the General felt a twinge of something at the sight of it.

"I will take my leave," Ren said abruptly. Both the General and the girl startled at his sudden admission as he swiftly exited the General's chambers.

In the absence of Kylo Ren, the General suddenly felt acutely aware of the girl. She did not seem distraught by Ren's sudden departure, but she continued to stare at the candlewicks in awe.

"When you are ready, I will show you to your room."

She glanced back over her shoulder at the General. "I don't sleep in here?" She seemed mildly confused.

"No," he replied. "This is my chamber. Yours are through this door. It is another chamber much like this one simply attached to this chamber."

She turned around fully to look at him, suddenly angry. "I thought I was a prisoner? Why have they put me next to your chambers?"

"Supreme Leader Snoke requested that I not let you out of my sight," he gestured to the door on the left side of his bed. "That room provides you privacy, though it is only a room with a view. No other amenities such as hygiene facilities in there. You may use mine if you wish and you will eat here with me." He gestured to the small kitchenette attached to the chamber.

"So, it is a comfortable prison then."

He nodded, "It really was just and extra bedroom, added to my chambers some years ago when I thought I might have need of it. The lock was added more recently." His throat constricted slightly at the memory. "I can remove the binders. Though the specialty binders will remain. They can be separated to allow you to wash and eat."

She strode over to him. Each step held such confidence, the General could not help but tremble. She carried herself like a queen, not a scavenger. She reached out her hands pushing the binders toward him.

He hesitated, grasping the center of the binders and taking out his keycard to separate the specialty binders and remove the second set of binders. Only for a brief moment, he pictured how she might look spread out on his bed, her wrists still in binders, his hand still firmly holding them. He blushed. He really needed to go to the fresher and take care of this problem.

Once he had removed the second set of binders, he set them gingerly on the desk next to his bed. Though he knew she still could not attack him using the Force, he couldn't be sure she wouldn't try something else. He had to remain cautious. But once she was free, she turned her back to him and strode into his hygiene facilities without so much as a glance back at him.

As soon as she let the door slide closed behind her, the General let loose a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He gripped the side of his desk, he wanted so badly to go in after her.

No, he didn't.

He wanted her gone.

Her and Ren.

"Sir?"

The sound of her timid voice brought him out of his musing. He turned to face her, she was still clothed. She apparently hadn't showered yet.

"Yes?"

"I... Uhh. I don't know how to use the fresher."

"I see," he smiled. "Allow me to show you." Growing up on a desert planet she would not have much access to clean water for bathing. Most water would have been used for drinking. It was no surprise she was unfamiliar with how to use a fresher. Though he had hoped that during her time with the Resistance they had taught her something.

She followed him back into the hygiene room, and he pointed out the various buttons and knobs and their uses.

"These buttons control the temperature, up for hot and down for cold. This button releases the soap for washing. And this controls the water pressure. The towels are—-"

He was cut off by her shriek, "what is that?!" She cried pointing at the sink counter. The General turned to find Millicent curled up in the bowl of the sink. Her ginger tail slowly wicking back and forth as she batted at some imaginary dust particle.

"That is my pet. She is a cat, and her name is Millicent." He answered coolly. "She will not bother you if you don't bother her. Though she does have some sharp claws and teeth, she doesn't bring them out unless she thinks you're a threat."

Millicent let out something between a hiss and meow at the girl then hopped up and out of the sink bowl and jumped down onto the floor to curl around the General's legs.

"She looks dangerous," the girl said backing away from the cat.

"I assure you, she is quite harmless, unless you mean to harm her."

The girl shook her head but kept her distance.

"I'll take her with me then," the general replied as he scooped Millicent up. "And I'll leave you to it. Please let me know if you need any assistance." The General sputtered, "I MEANT if you need any additional instruction on how to use the fresher. The towels are located underneath the sink."

He left the room as fast as he could and threw himself onto the bed, Millicent hissing with the impact. How had this girl turned him into a sputtering boy in mere seconds? Being around her was toxic, like she was leeching his intelligence. He rolled over onto his back, stroking Millicent till he heard her satisfied purrs. He settled back onto the bed and closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about the girl anymore. But it was difficult when she was just on the other side of the door. Possibly naked.

The fresher hissed as the water started.

Definitely naked.

His eyes began to droop, it had been a very long day indeed. He would only rest them for a moment. He let them close and breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost over.

He awoke with a start. Someone was looking at him. And Millicent was nowhere to be seen. It was dark in the room now, night. The lights were set to solar time and dimmed on their own. He sat up and found the girl there, standing at the edge of the bed, and wrapped in only a towel. The binders were gone. This was bad. How had he allowed himself to be so vulnerable?

She didn't say anything. She just let the towel drop.


	3. Chapter 3

Counterfeit Balance

Chapter 3: 

He gulped. If he had imagined her naked, which he would have, had he been in the fresher, he would've imagined her just like this. She was thin, but toned, and her breasts. He just couldn't stop his eyes running over them to the small pert nipples. Then his gaze fell to the gathering of curls between her legs. His pants were beginning to feel rather tight.

She smiled at him, not that guileful smile of earlier but a real smile, like the one she had when she first saw all the vegetation in his room.

She leaned down, resting herself on the bed with her hands and began to crawl toward him. His heart thudded in his chest. Then she straddled him, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. She leaned down to him almost forcing him back so that he had to prop himself up by his elbows.

Her face almost touching him. He was shaking, he wanted so badly to reach up and stroke her skin, but he had already taken a kiss, and he would not take anything else without her permission. She pressed her lips to his, soft, pliant and his hands moved to pull her down onto him. Her body felt so smooth pressed against him, and his hands worked through her hair and down her shoulders. Her tongue grazing the inside of his mouth nearly sent him over the edge, he was hard so so hard. Her grinding body was sending him over the edge, and he was so so close to —.

He jumped awake. The sound of the fresher had gone off, and he was still lying on his back with Millicent in the crook of his arm. He looked around, disoriented. His clothes and hair a rumpled mess, not to mention his bed. It had all felt much too real. He glanced down at his trousers. All too real. He had to get rid of this before the girl saw. He was about to jump off the bed when she came through the door of the hygiene room.

She was wrapped in a large white towel and carrying her folded clothes.

He stood suddenly, hoping that she wouldn't notice the rather large tent he was pitching in his trousers.

"My clothes?" She said quietly, not really looking at him.

"You're not wearing any," he replied. Thankful for the standard black issue First Order trousers that were a bit forgiving.

"I know THAT," she answered in frustration. "Are there any clean clothes or can I send for my clothing to be cleaned?"

"Oh, yes." He was a fool. A complete and utter fool. He should've had her clothing sent to be cleaned immediately before she entered the fresher. Had he been thinking it would have been ready when she was finished. But he hadn't been thinking, at least not about being accommodating.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, I'll call a droid, your clothing will be cleaned. In the meantime, you are welcome to wear my robe, it is slung up in the hygiene room," he gestured to the room she had just left.

She almost smiled at him and handed the pile of folded clothes to General and then went back into the room. He presumed to retrieve the robe. He quickly pressed the comm to usher in the nearest laundry droid and then handed over the girls dirty and worn clothing.

"See to it that her clothing is cleaned quickly and please provide several other pieces of similar styles in the same size for her," he commanded the droid, who beeped at him in an annoyed tone and then skirted off. The six stormtroopers still stood outside the door, and the General was again thankful of the knowledge that right outside the door he might have some backup, even if they were not the highly trained death troopers or one of Ren's Knights. The girl seemed to be playing nice, but he wasn't sure how long that would last.

When he reentered the room, the girl was dressed in his bathrobe and sitting on one of his cushioned recliners, idly toying with a starblossom plant.

"That is another extremely rare plant from Alderaan," he smiled as he watched her. "They were thought to be entirely extinct, but I somehow managed to raise this one from the dead. I can't manage to convince it to bear fruit, however."

She looked up at him and studied him with those penetrating eyes.

"Don't you need a wash?" She asked quietly.

It did sound like a good idea. But he would need to show her to her room. He swallowed, a few minutes in the fresher by himself and he wouldn't think of her at all. That's all he needed.

"I do indeed," he paused. She wouldn't like this next bit at all. "I will have to show you to your room first. I can't allow you to be in here while I'm in the fresher."

She scowled at him, her eyes narrowing to small slits. But she rose of her own accord and followed him to the durasteel door that led to her private room.

The General pressed his fingers to the keypad next to the door and quickly entered the code. The door slid open, and he gestured for the girl to lead the way.

The room was sparsely furnished though it had a beautiful view of the stars. There was a small bed and a cushioned reading chair in the corner. He made a note that she might enjoy a datapad that wasn't linked to the holonet and came pre-loaded with reading material and holovids. And he only slightly entertained the idea of watching a holovid in his room with her, lying on his bed. He shook the thought away. He desperately needed the fresher.

"Please let me know if you need anything. I will find you a datapad with reading material and holovids. But for now, I will be back shortly and have dinner prepared. I eat at 1900 hours."

She merely nodded as he took his leave, securing the lock on the door and then letting out a long breath. He needed the fresher. Badly.

The warm hiss of the water as it rushed out through the spout and onto his body was the most welcome feeling he had ever experienced. He pressed the button to release the wash and began to scrub himself thoroughly all over, his hand lingering over his length.

The girl. The feel of her mouth. She was everywhere.

Every fiber of his being was bursting with need. The need to fill her, claim her, make her his. He stroked himself again, remembering how sweet her mouth tasted and the firmness of her body against him.

He loosed a strained moan at each torturous stroke of pleasure. He knew he couldn't have her like he imagined, willing and enthusiastic, body glistening with perspiration as he thrusts inside her. The thought of her warm wetness enveloping him, clenching around him is enough to send him over the edge.

He gasped out as his hips stuttered, letting out the last of his frustrations.

Once he was out of the fresher, he took care to dress in his most elegant lounge clothing. He didn't want her to think him unkempt. He paused at his reflection in the mirror it showed his face, angular and pale, his dark red hair slicked back. He hated how he looked, the red hair, the pale skin. It made him look sickly and angry. Which isn't entirely wrong. He was always angry.

He finished dressing just in time to hear the static beep of door comm. The laundry droid must have returned with the girl's clothing. He let out another long sigh. This day was not going at all as he had planned.

He made his way out of the hygiene room and to the door, pressing the release button and allowing the durasteel door to slide open to find the droid on the other side, beeping impatiently. As soon as he took the shrink-wrapped package of clothing, it turned its chrome head and rolled away with a sharp indignant beep.

He swallowed hard, unsure if he could face the girl again, after his dream, after the fresher he had begun to feel the sharp prickle of embarrassment. A knotting in his stomach that made him feel sick. He couldn't let her know he thought about her like that, straining beneath him. Stars, he better think about something else before he gets hard again.

He took the package and closed the main door to his compartments, striding over to the locked door of his guest's chamber. He opened the door with a simple click of the code in the pin pad and waited as the door glided open.

He found her there, sitting in the reading chair, still wrapped in his robe with her knees pulled up to her chest as she stared out at the stars through the viewport.

The General gulped, he had thought that his release of tension in the fresher earlier might have allowed him to look at her without thinking about how her skin would feel, but instead, it had made it all the worse. Imagining what she could do to him. It sent shivers down his spine. He liked the look of his robe wrapped around her, and he was almost jealous of it, keeping her warm like that.

"Pardon me," he said.

She turned her head to look at him but remained seated.

"Your clothing has been cleaned," He said, placing the package on the bed that stood between them. "I have also obtained some additional clothing for you."

She blinked at him, "thank you."

"Dinner will be served in thirty minutes," he said, "Please dress, and I will get you when it is ready. In the meantime, should you need anything, I will be just on the other side of the door."

She nodded at him absently then turned to look back out the viewport.

He fled the room and let the door slide closed behind him. He heaved out a ragged breath as he leaned back, allowing the thick metal of the door to hold him upright. Surely this girl was important to the Resistance. If she had such an effect on someone like him, she must have left an impression on them.

He wondered who might be missing her. FN-2187? He scowled, he knew the stormtrooper had come back for the girl on Starkiller, but he didn't know the extent of their relationship. Only that FN had taken a liking to her. Then there was the pilot, Dameron. Had she come into contact with that scum?

A slight meow from Millicent brought his attention back to reality. Did it really matter who she had been entangled with before she came here? She was here now.

He sat down at his desk and let Millicent hop up onto his lap and curl up. She liked to sit with him while he worked, and it was better than having her walking across his datapad while he tried to complete his tasks.

He busied himself for the next thirty minutes reviewing memos and approving expense reports. Tedious work for some, but he reveled in seeing accounts balanced and reports completed and filed. The work had a calming effect on him. He enjoyed it, silly as it might seem. He especially enjoyed reviewing the military strategy memos and was in the middle of one that indicated the possible locations of the Resistance base when his comm blinked.

"Yes?" He answered.

"General Hux?" The voice was unmistakably that of Captain Phasma.

"Yes?" He huffed.

"There has been a transmission," she paused. "From Commander Poe Dameron."

 _Wonderful. The cur._

"Send it through." He replied.

"And General," she continued.

"Yes?"

"I believe they are getting quite desperate."

He smirked. Finally, something to give him the edge.

The comm cut out and his datapad blinked with the newly uploaded transmission. He glanced over his shoulder at the door to the guest room. He knew that the door had been recently reinforced. He was confident then that no one would be able to hear anything through it, but the girl was gifted.

What good would it do her to hear the transmission anyway? It was unlikely she would be leaving any time soon.

He pressed play and watched as the blue face of Dameron appeared, an arrogant smile winding through his features. How the General hated that smug expression.

"This is a message for General Hugs," Dameron paused, the cocky smirk on his face widening.

The General grit his teeth. Did Dameron really think he was the first to make that joke?

"This transmission is to notify you that the Resistance is aware you have captured one of our own. And to let you know, we are very sorry and hope you make it through this alive." Dameron let out a small laugh.

The image wavered a bit, and the General caught the pale lines of a hand clasping Dameron's shoulder. A hand with a ring on it that bore two gems. General Organa.

"We also wanted to let you know that we will accept your surrender within the next forty-eight-hour cycle. Should we not hear from you by that time we will assume that you do not take this offer seriously and we will have no choice but to bring you down."

It was at the word 'seriously' that the General heard the garbled sound in the background, so faint he almost missed it. The sound was a distinct high-pitched whistle. He replayed the message. Then lowered the audio and amplified the background noise. There it was again. The high-pitched screech almost a whine. He isolated the audio clip. Then used it to search through the First Order Holonet archives. He set the datapad down and let it search and brushed Millicent off his lap. She hopped off with an annoyed mew.

The comm for his room blinked and buzzed, indicating his dinner had arrived. He stood up from his desk and stretched, relishing the feel of his muscles burning. He opened the durasteel door and allowed the droid to enter. It laid down trays of covered meals at the small kitchenette table. After laying the trays down the droid produced a bottle and set it between the two trays. Once it was finished, it turned and beeped at the General.

"Yes, that will be all, thank you," he said. His mother had always taught him to be polite, even to a droid.

As the droid began to leave he had a sudden realization.

"Actually, two more things," he paused. "No, three more things. I will have dessert tonight."

The droid let out a surprised beep.

"Yes, I know. Dessert for two. And another bottle of wine. Also," his tongue still felt thick and swollen inside his mouth. "I need a datapad, without access to the holonet. And I want it loaded with holovids and reading material for our guest."

Another series of beeps and boops.

"I don't know. Whatever you think a girl of nineteen might be interested in reading or watching," he replied tiredly.

The droid let out a long beep.

"Yeah, your guess is as good as mine." He smiled. "Actually, probably some lore about the Force I suppose. Maybe some history regarding ship mechanics? And some fiction for good measure. Nothing about the Jedi though, unless it is First Order propaganda."

He watched the droid leave and turned his attention back to his datapad. It was still running a search. No surprise there. It was a large galaxy.

He opened the door to the guest chambers after a brief knock on the outside which had garnered no response. He found the girl lying on the bed, curled into herself. She was asleep. He loathed to wake her but knew she must be famished.

He intended to wake her gently, but the sound of his footfalls sent her bolting upright, hands clenched into fists. He had nearly forgotten, she had been a scavenger, surviving by herself in the stars forsaken desert. She would have had to sleep lightly.

She stared at him, eyes wild, nearly feral.

"My apologies," He said. "I didn't mean to wake you so suddenly, but dinner is prepared. Are you hungry?

She didn't answer right away; she seemed to be trying to calm herself down. But she stood up from the bed and made her way to where the General stood.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm starving."

He led her out of the room and pulled a chair out for her at the kitchenette table. She sat down silently and allowed him to scoot in her chair. He seated himself opposite her and lifted the lid to the trays, revealing a steaming plate of lobster bisellian sitting atop a bed of greens. It smelled heavenly.

He was keenly aware that this was an expensive meal, one he hadn't ordered. Snoke was definitely trying to make the girl feel special.

He waved away the steam and watched the girl prod the lobster with her pronged utensil. She made a face.

"I assure you it is delicious," he said amused.

"It looks like a bug," she said, eyes narrowing.

He laughed. He couldn't help it what with her look of wariness and suspicion. She glanced back at him grimacing.

"Let me show you," he said and proceeded to show her how to remove the shell and pierce the tender flesh inside, dipping it in the buttery spread. He took a bite and sighed. He hadn't had lobster in a long time. Nearly as long as...He didn't want to think about it.

She followed his directions and removed the shell, cutting a piece of the meat then stirring it into the sauce and taking a small bite. She let out a surprised squeak.

"It's so good!" She said.

He smiled again. "Good, I'm glad you like it. It's rather expensive, so enjoy it all."

"Why would you feed me something expensive?" She was wary again. "I'm not someone who can be bought with gifts."

"I wouldn't expect you to be," he replied, taken aback. "I only meant that this meal was a luxury, something I'm not entirely accustomed to."

She pursed her lips, but not before cutting another piece of lobster. She scarfed down the rest of the food without another word, only pausing to fill her glass to brim with the red wine. The General didn't comment; he suspected she hadn't eaten this well in a very long time, if ever.

Sometime in between the droid returned with the General's requested items. It set the dessert on the table in front of the girl whose eyes were as wide as saucers as she surveyed the canapé. The lightly toasted pastry that was filled with a delicious yellow custard. The droid made an unpleasant beep as it set the second bottle of wine down on the table and retrieved the empty bottle. The General was sure it glared daggers at him, but it opened the new bottle all the same. Once it was done with the meal, it pulled a small datapad out of its storage compartment and then laid it on the General's desk with another beep.

"Thank you," The General said. "That will be all."

The droid beeped again and swiftly exited. The General watched the girl pour herself another glass of wine as she dug into the pastry.

After her third glass of wine, the General thought it might be time to stop her. He wasn't sure how much of the Chandrillan wine the girl could truly stomach but mixing with the rich food and the even richer pastry there was the chance she would be bringing it all back up within the next few hours. He didn't want to deal with a sick girl, it was reminiscent of his time in the Imperial Academy, and he didn't particularly want to relive that time in his life.

"I think that's probably enough wine," he said cautiously.

She glanced up at him over her nearly empty wine glass as she took another sip.

"I think it isn't nearly enough," she replied. Her cheeks had taken on a flushed hue, and there was something in the way she spoke that told the General it was indeed time to stop drinking.

"I just don't want you to feel ill."

"Shouldn't I be allowed to enjoy my last meal?" She quipped.

"This will hardly be your last."

"I'm sure Snoke hasn't told you he's going to have me executed," she said.

"He hasn't told me what he intends," the General replied. He didn't like where this conversation was headed and was thankful when his datapad pinged loud enough to make them both jump.

The search was finally over.

He excused himself from the table and didn't comment as he watched the girl pour herself a fourth drink. He glanced down at the datapad with a smile; the sound had been identified as the call of a sonar swallow. These birds were native to only one planet located in the Ileenium system, part of the outer rim territories.

Snoke would surely be pleased with this information; Commander Dameron had been particularly foolish in his transmission, to allow the First Order to locate the Resistance base so easily. He opened a message on his datapad and typed out a short message to the Supreme Leader.

The Resistance Base is located on D'Qar.

He attached the transmission and the isolated audio file. He was always thorough, part of the reason he had risen through the ranks of the First Order so quickly. He pressed send and watched with satisfaction as the message closed.

This might call for a change of plans. He smiled at that. Perhaps the girl could be of a bit more use to Snoke after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Counterfeit Balance

Chapter 4:

He smiled down at the datapad, perhaps he could convince the Supreme Leader that the girl was, in fact, detrimental to his plan to destroy the Resistance. He would need to actually have a plan, however. And he would need to come up with it rather quickly. Time was as they say of the essence.

A glance over his shoulder told him the girl had finished her pastry and was emptying the last remnants of the wine into her glass. Perhaps she didn't realize the strength of this particular Chandrillan wine, or perhaps she didn't care. Either way, it was bound to be a long night for her. He sighed and returned to the table without a word, eyeing her as he finished his pastry and drained his wine glass.

"You really ought to pace yourself," he said quietly. "You are going to be sick, and I'm not exactly thrilled about the prospect of holding your hair back."

She looked up, meeting his eyes. Her flush had spread from her cheeks down to the bare skin of her collarbone. A lovely shade of crimson he couldn't help but notice.

"Holding my hair back?" She asked. He caught the almost slur of her intonation. She was most definitely drunk.

He frowned. "Yes, usually when you are drunk and sick and need to vomit, someone is responsible for holding your hair back. Otherwise, it can become quite messy."

She laughed for a moment giving him a smile that made his breath hitch.

"Do you have a lot of experience holding people's hair back?" She giggled.

"Well, I—suppose I have had some," he replied mildly amused by her interest.

She laughed again. "I can't imagine you all prim and proper letting a girl vomit even remotely near you." Did she think the notion that he could be a caring individual to be funny?

He wasn't sure he liked her drunk. And he definitely didn't like to be teased. And besides, it was ridiculously foolish of her to get herself drunk, especially when she was alone, with him. He had already tried to kiss her once without her permission. Hadn't she considered that? But then again, he supposed he wouldn't have thought twice about getting drunk if he thought it might be his last day alive.

She was still laughing at him, but then she let out a small groan. "My stomach hurts."

He blinked. Wonderful. This night was turning out to be wonderful.

"Perhaps you'd like to lie down?" He asked gesturing to the bed.

She huffed at him as she rose from her chair. "You better not try to have your way with me."

"Preying on drunk girls is definitely not my way," he replied icily.

It was then he remembered she already had a room she could lie down in and instead he had just offered her a place on his bed. Perhaps he needed to reconsider exactly what "his way" was.

She walked slowly to the bed and gingerly sat down on the edge cradling her stomach. The General rose as well and pulled out a small glass from his cabinetry. He needed another drink, and wine was definitely not going to make the cut. He pulled out a bottle of Corellian whisky and poured himself a portion into the glass.

Without a thought he tossed the drink down, swallowing the amber liquid in one gulp. He liked the way it burned all the way down into his belly. It cleared his head, emptying it of all those disastrous thoughts.

Swishing around the bottle in one hand he made a quick decision; he poured himself another shot.

The girl had laid down on her side, still cradling her stomach.

"Would you like some tea?" He asked suddenly, he'd nearly forgotten that he had some tea for nausea. He had even used it a few times for himself after a rough day of work had led to an even rougher night of drinking.

She shook her head, "I don't think I can stomach anything else."

"Well, it could help if you feel nauseated," he offered.

She groaned a bit and shook her head again.

"Would you like me to put something on? A holovid? I could—" he began.

"No, thank you," she said groaning again. "But I think I should just lie here for a minute. My head won't stop pounding."

He decided he would make her tea anyway, and he would mix it with a good portion of pain-relieving powder as well to help get rid of the headache. He filled the teapot quickly and set it on the small burn pad as he flicked it onto 'high.' Perhaps he ought to get her into her own room. He could give her a bucket. That was a terrible thought. He didn't want to toss her back in her room with only a bucket and some tea. It wasn't the most polite thing for him to do, but he really didn't want to play host to a drunk prisoner. Especially not one that he found so enthralling.

He remained in the kitchenette, leaning against the countertops. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and crossed his arms. It was better for both of them if he kept his distance. He had much better control over himself if she wasn't so close to him.

"Do tell," he said, "have you ever drank before? And by drank, I mean alcohol."

She let out a small wheeze and then a very quiet, "Once."

"Once? Once before?" He nearly growled.

"It was a long time ago," she replied wincing, "at the sun festival on Jakku."

"I don't suppose anyone has ever warned you not to imbibe?" He said, biting his lip.

She shook her head, just as the kettle began to whistle. He switched the burner off and prepared the tea, a small pouch of the loose leaf tea and then mixed it with the pain reliever.

He lifted the mug gingerly stirring the contents around with a spoon he had retrieved and then walked it over to where she laid.

"Sit up," he said, not unkindly.

She did as he asked, but as soon as she was upright, she made a face. He knew that expression.

"Get to the hygiene room," he said urgently. He set the steaming mug of tea down on his desk as she dashed into the room.

The unmistakable sound of retching came a moment later. He licked his lips. This was not at all how he imagined his day would go.

He made his way to the hygiene room to find her bending over the toilet, hands braced on either side of the bowl. She was heaving. It wasn't the most attractive sight. He gently reached over and brushed her hair back, away from her face, pulling it into a ponytail. She heaved again, this time all the contents of her stomach seemed to come up, red wine, bits of lettuce, buttery sauce covered lobster. It smelled foul, and he felt his throat tighten, bile rising. He gagged slightly as he looked away. He was not going to vomit now.

He held her hair back as she expelled the entire contents of her stomach in five or six more heaves. When she finally let out a loud breath and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, he knew she was finished. He flushed the toilet as quickly as he could, taking care not to look at the contents of the bowl.

"Just one moment," he said as he reluctantly let her hair go. He left the room and returned with a full glass of water. "Rinse your mouth with this," he said offering her the cup.

She took it shyly, her forehead damp with perspiration and her cheeks a dull pink. She took a sip and swished the water in her mouth, spitting it into the nearby sink.

"Thank you," she said feebly.

He gave her a nod. "How about that tea?"

She smiled weakly, but nodded at him and followed him out of the room. He sat her back down on the bed and brought her the tea. Thankfully it was now cool enough to where she could manage a sip.

He sat down in his desk chair. He needed something solid under him, to remind of where he was, of who he was.

"How's your head?" He asked, his own head beginning to sprout a mild ache.

"It's just a dull throbbing now," she replied as she took another sip of the tea.

"That's better," he said. "Sleep will definitely help. Though I don't like the idea of sending you to bed with an empty stomach."

There was a small quirk in the corner of her mouth as she said, "well I should probably eat something then. To settle my stomach."

He knew the feeling. He needed to settle his stomach as well, that tight knotting that had begun when he had first laid eyes on her was only growing stronger. The lights in his room had dimmed considerably in the past hour, creating an artificial daylight of sorts. Even in that dim lighting, he could make out the soft planes of her face, her lips, her throat.

With a shake of his head, he rose from his chair, "let me see what I have in my pantry."

She sat on the edge of his bed, sipping the tea thoughtfully. His eyes followed her hand as she raised the mug to her lips. How he envied that mug. Thankfully his tongue was still somewhat painful from where she had bitten him earlier. It served to remind him of his own stupidity and the fact that she was not his ally.

He shuffled through the pantry, boxes of expired things, he wasn't sure what. He lifted out a box of ration cubes. Those wouldn't do. He wasn't going to give her ration cubes. Likely she had lived off of ration cubes when she was a scavenger.

Finally, he came across a meal box of bread packets, there was only one packet left. He tore open the packet and then found a small bowl and poured the contents inside. He tossed the box into the small trash compactor and then filled the bowl with hot water from the kettle. It only took a few minutes for the bread to rise out of the mixture and then harden into a small loaf.

Once it had cooled enough, he cut the bread into small slices and put them on a plate. When he set them down beside her on the bed, she gave him a smile.

"Thank you," she said, picking up one of the pieces of bread and biting into it. She ate slowly, a small bite at a time.

"You're welcome," he replied.

He wasn't sure when the last time had been that he'd felt so domestic. It would have been at least four or five years ago at least. Back when he wasn't always alone. Though he did have Millicent, she'd kept him company for a number of years, but it wasn't the same as having someone to come home to. It wasn't likely he'd ever have that again anyway.

He decided he didn't want to sit in the hardback desk chair, he stood suddenly and moved back to the kitchen to grab the bottle of Corellian whisky, he unscrewed it again and took a long swig. Then he flung himself onto one of his plush reading couches and propped his feet up on the short end table. It was a pose he didn't usually take with others, especially not his . . . Enemies? He supposed, all things considered, that she was indeed his enemy.

Another swig of whisky burned its way down his throat as he leaned back and closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn't, not with the girl still sitting on his bed.

"I can go to my room if you like," she whispered, almost as if she could read his thoughts.

"No, no," he replied, "Please. I'm really not used to having company."

"I'm a prisoner," she countered.

"Yes you are," he said giving her a savage grin.

"And now you're drunk," she said, clearly unamused.

He sat up suddenly, "am I? I don't feel drunk." He paused to take another drink. "And anyway, it usually takes a lot more than this to get me drunk."

Turning in his seat he leaned forward, offering her the bottle of whisky. "Want a sip?"

She shook her head, "the thought of that makes me feel sick all over again."

"More for me then," he replied draining the bottle in one gulp. His head swam, he was beginning to feel a bit light headed.

She watched him as she finished eating the bread and drank down the last of the tea.

"You know," she started, "I used to eat these type of bread rations on Jakku all the time."

He set the empty bottle down on the floor and allowed Millicent to hop into his lap.

"I had hoped I wasn't giving you something to remind you of that desolate wasteland," he said, his hands idly petting Millicent as she curled up on his stomach.

She smiled at him again. She was definitely feeling more forgiving this evening.

"You know, not all of my memories of Jakku are bad," she replied.

"Do tell," he said. "I like a good story."

"Well, there was—" she seemed so eager to tell him, but then his datapad beeped loudly. Snoke must've received his message. The girl immediately closed her mouth.

His comm blinked as well. A transmission. He checked the datapad, it appeared that Snoke was sending him a holocall. Why did he always call? Couldn't he just this once send a message like anyone else would have? Millicent hopped off his lap suddenly, she never wanted to be in the room when Snoke called.

The General knew he couldn't answer the holocall with the girl in the room. He turned to her, "I have to take this."

Was that disappointment he saw in her face? He couldn't be sure. But she nodded and rose, and he showed her back into her room. As soon as the door was secure, he turned to the datapad and answered the holocall.

Snoke's unpleasant features came into view immediately.

"Supreme Leader," The General bowed.

"What took you so long?" Snoke growled.

"I uh—" The General wasn't prepared with an excuse.

Snoke smiled at him, a cruel twisting of his features. "Never mind. Kylo Ren has requested that the girl have an opportunity to train with the Knights of Ren tomorrow morning."

"Surely you don't believe that is a good idea," the General replied. Almost immediately he felt the constricting pressure around his windpipe. Crushing him. He wheezed, saw stars, his head was swimming again.

"Don't question me! I have decided to allow Kylo Ren to entertain the idea that I might let her live. I will allow her to train with him. The specialty binders must stay, however. It will be an excellent test of Kylo Ren's will." Snoke said, smiling. "You are to attend of course. I do not want her out of your sight."

He tried to say something, anything but all that he could manage was a pathetic gasp as he tried to breathe. The Supreme Leader did not loosen his grip. Everything had begun to narrow, he couldn't see. Another few seconds and he would pass out.

"Do you understand?" Snoke asked.

He tried to answer, but everything suddenly went black. He was pulled back to reality when his body hit the floor, slumping half onto his bed.

"Yes, Supreme Leader," he gasped out, rising on unsteady feet.

Snoke chuckled. "Then I will have Kylo Ren prove his loyalty by killing the girl."

"Supreme Leader," The General said through his dry, cracked throat. "Did you see my message? About the Resistance location?"

"I did," Snoke paused. "Once we rendezvous with you we will send the fleet to D'Qar quickly to resolve this little annoyance."

For a brief moment, the General thought he ought to suggest that the girl would be more valuable alive should the attack on D'Qar fail. But then again he didn't have the slightest desire to have his windpipe crushed again.

"Yes, Supreme Leader," he replied.

Snoke grinned, "Well well, this is a very interesting turn of events. Till tomorrow General."

The General nodded and let the holocall end, heaving out a tired wheeze. His head ached, and his throat throbbed, and his tongue was stinging from the recent swallow of whisky. He wanted another drink badly but knew it was probably not the best idea given the pounding in his head.

He walked shakily back to his kitchenette and poured himself a glass of water, downing it quickly and then pouring another. Tomorrow they would rendezvous with _The Supremacy_ , and he would have to figure something out to keep the girl alive. He could take the chance and speak with Kylo Ren, but then again, he would rather not share any glory with him. He wanted the girl to know it had been him who had saved her. He wanted her to be grateful and to show him her thanks.

A glance at the time told him it was well into his sleep cycle. He stripped down to his black sleeping shorts and then stepped into the hygiene room to clean his teeth.

Once he was finished, he lifted his datapad and turned on the monitor in her room. He didn't like using the monitor to spy. They had been intended for other things, but now he might as well use them to see if she was asleep. She wasn't. She was sitting on the edge of the bed leaning forward, and it almost appeared that she was talking to someone.

A sudden spike of panic flooded through him. How could she be speaking to anyone? Had she grabbed a comm from his room? Dread wound its way through his stomach, and he darted to the door, punching in the code quickly and letting the door slid open to reveal her there. She looked up at him and gasped, apparently he had caught her in the middle of something.

But she was alone. There was no one there. Her expression of surprise almost instantly changed to anger.

"Were you spying on me?" She asked.

"Spying on you? Were you speaking to someone?" He accused. He had momentarily forgotten he was standing there in just sleep shorts and her studious gaze made his face burn.

"No," she replied. A blatant lie.

"Did you take a comm from my room?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"Stand up," he ordered. He had to be sure. His heart pounded as she rose. "Put your hands up and turn around."

She did as he asked, raising her hands slowly and turning her back to him. He gently patted her down, making sure not to linger too long on the curve of her hips or the inside of her thighs. When he was satisfied that she wasn't hiding a stolen comm, he stepped back and allowed her to turn around.

"Well?" She asked defiantly staring up at him. She was so close to him, he could almost feel the heat from her body. Her eyes felt like they were singeing his skin.

"I believe that you didn't take a comm," he admitted, "But you were speaking with someone. How?"

She didn't answer, just stared back up at him. There really wasn't much he could do to make her talk. Snoke wouldn't want her tortured. And he really wouldn't torture her anyway. Snoke wanted Kylo to believe the girl might become one of his Knights of Ren. The longer he stood there, looking down on her, the more he realized that her fiery nature reminded him of someone. He shook it away.

"I know you were speaking to someone. I can only assume to whom," he glared back down at her. "If you won't tell me there isn't much I can do. But I can let you know that I will be watching your every move on my monitor. So be careful."

Her eyes seemed to soften a bit at that, she hesitated.

"And," he continued, "Supreme Leader Snoke has approved for you to train with the Knights of Ren tomorrow. He may be testing you to see if you would be a good fit."

She didn't seem the least bit surprised by this news. That was confirmation enough for the General. She had been talking to Kylo Ren after all. How she had still managed to elude him, but he would figure it out sooner or later.

"I'm going to bed now." Was all she said by way of reply. The anger was gone from her tone, replaced by an iciness that nearly made the General shiver.

He suddenly remembered the datapad he had for her.

"Oh, there is one more thing."

He left the room quickly and returned with the datapad. He explained how to use it and showed her where she could access holovids and reading materials. She seemed genuinely surprised at this sudden gift, and he almost reveled in the feel of her appreciation. She stood so close to him, leaning in at his shoulder to see the datapad. Her breath was warm on his arm as she watched him detail the programs.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for him not to reach out and touch her. He ached to put a hand on the small of her back. But he didn't, he merely handed her the datapad and removed himself from the room as fast as he was able.

Once the door was closed between them, he let himself crumble into his bed. Had he imagined her eyes flicking from the datapad screen to his face and then down his torso to his stomach? Or had that been his overactive imagination? Was he filling in the gaps he wished he had seen? He couldn't be sure. But he was sure her eyes had rested on his lips for a brief moment and then dropped, taking in the sight of him.

He knew he wasn't as well muscled as he could have been, or even as he was back in his academy days, but he did train regularly, and he knew he was physically fit. He also prided himself on a well-groomed appearance.

His breath hitched a moment as he thought of his earlier dream. If he took her binders off if he freed her, what would she be willing to do? Would she thank him like he had imagined? Eager wet lips sliding up and down on his cock, soft hands slowly tenuously gripping his length and pumping him into ecstasy.

He glanced back down at his now hardened length, his hand sliding between his shorts and his skin and grasping himself tightly. He gasped out as he pumped once, twice, three times, each pull more pleasurable than the last. He imagined her warm mouth enveloping him, her hot wet tongue gliding up and down his length. But the thing that sent him desperately over the edge and into the beyond was the thought of her eyes on him the whole time.


	5. Chapter 5

Counterfeit Balance

Chapter 5:

The next morning came far too quickly. The General was still entertaining dreams of the girl when Millicent plopped her warm furry body on top of his face. He was thankful the girl wasn't as hairy as his pet as he finally propped himself up and rolled out of bed. His head still throbbed slightly from all the whisky he had drunk the night before, but otherwise, he felt alert and awake. Though his stomach still felt painfully unsettled.

He went about his morning routine, as usual, hoping it might calm him down might help him focus. He first went to the hygiene room to shave and style his hair. Then he admitted the meal droid who laid out a scrumptious looking breakfast and a steaming pot of caf. Finally, he dressed in his standard First Order uniform and rechecked his appearance in the mirror and decided it was about time to check on the girl.

She was already up and dressed when he opened the locked door, and she greeted him with a small smile as she sat down to breakfast.

"Are you looking forward to training today?" The General asked trying to fill the silence.

She nodded but said nothing.

They ate quietly for the rest of the meal, not commenting on the night before or even the assortment of food but the girl seemed in good spirits. She ate all of her food and drank two hot mugs of caf. They had only just finished their breakfast when the comm at the door buzzed.

The General stood to answer the door and was greeted by the dark visage of Kylo Ren. The six stormtroopers still stood outside the door, though now that Kylo Ren was there they stood at attention, weapons at the ready.

"Have a good night General?" Ren asked mockingly.

It was much too early to deal with Ren's annoying sarcasm. But he might as well use it to his advantage.

"Better than yours I believe," the General said, giving him a meaningful grin. "The girl is definitely. . . entertaining."

Ren froze, his masked glared cutting into the General. He could almost feel the stormtroopers shifting with unease.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" He felt the push into his mind, he shoved it back with all his willpower.

"I think you know," the General replied, smirking. He wouldn't let Ren see anything.

"If you touch her—" Ren began.

"You'll what?" The General countered, taking a step toward the black-clad man.

"I'll kill you," Ren finished.

And there it was. The final confirmation the General needed. There was indeed something between those two.

"And if she begged me to touch her?" The General nearly whispered.

The General never got to hear what Kylo would do if that were the case because the girl cut in.

"Kylo?" Her timid voice came from directly behind the General. He winced, hoping she hadn't heard his last comment.

Ren brushed past the General and into the chambers.

"Are you ready to train?" Ren asked her, the General nearly forgotten.

"I am, though I don't know about training on a full stomach," she said smiling. She seemed to smile a lot around Ren. The General couldn't help but frown.

"Don't worry, we'll start with some meditation, and that will give your stomach time to settle," Ren offered.

It was almost comical how Ren spoke to her. Like they were friends like they had known each other for years. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Let's go shall we?" He interjected.

His words broke their focus, and he swore he saw Ren bristle again. The girl laid a hand on Ren's arm and the General grit his teeth.

"Let's go," she agreed, leading Ren towards the door by his arm.

The General could do nothing but follow them.

The training rooms were spacious and full of firm dark mats and melee droids. The First Order had supplied the most state of the art battle droids, practice weaponry, and battle simulation rooms. The Knights of Ren held their own specialized training room adjacent to the rooms used by the stormtroopers and officers. The Supreme leader had ensured that it carried all the necessities for force-sensitive training.

The General watched as Kylo Ren led the girl forward towards the group of Knights that were grappling on the mats in the center of the training room. He hung back to the side, though there was no seating for observation he found a post to lean against. He didn't mind observing, seeing the girl surrounded by large black-clad Knights of Ren made him smile slightly. She could fit in here. Change out the grey and tan for black, and she could easily be one of them. Though he didn't like the idea of her wearing a mask like the others, he wanted to see her.

Siorsha Ren was the first to greet the girl, and she bowed slightly, reaching out to grasp her hand. He couldn't hear the exchange, but he saw the girl smile openly and firmly shake the presented hand. Gaten Ren, Savek Ren, Barris Ren, and Trian Ren rose from their mats where they had been sparring and made their way over to Siorsha, Kylo, and the girl. Five other Knights made their way over to the girl as well, but the General couldn't remember all their names. He watched them exchange what he believed to be pleasantries and then Trian Ren gestured out to the mat and beckoned to the others.

The Knights, led by Kylo Ren all kneeled on the mats, legs crossed and elbows resting on their knees. The girl joined them, finding a place beside Trian on the mat. She mimicked the position of the other Knights and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

The General rolled his eyes, meditation was so archaic. He pursed his lips, wishing to have a place to sit.

Suddenly his comm beeped loudly, and he had to scramble to turn it off.

"If the General would please silence his comm so we can focus," Ren rebuked harshly.

They meditated for nearly fifteen minutes, perhaps more. The General didn't dare look at his comm to check the time, and there didn't appear to be any chronometers in the room either. He was beginning to feel bored, wishing he could be back in his room or even his office. Paperwork was far more interesting than this dribble.

Finally, the Knights finished their meditation and Ren rose above his Knights who remained seated.

"Today we will practice hand to hand combat, start in your assigned pairs," Ren said.

The Knights stood as well, pairing off into groups of two. Trian returned to the mat and beckoned Siorsha over.

The General grinned. They were going to fight. He loved to watch a good fight, but he rarely had the opportunity. Trian and Siorsha knelt down on the mat and placed their arms out, palms on each other's shoulders. Barris Ren let out a shout and then all the General could see was arms, legs, and a black tangled mess as the two Knights rolled around on the mat. The other Knights were calling encouragements, the girl seemed delighted, and Ren stood quietly next to her. But Ren wasn't watching the fight. He was watching the girl.

Trian eventually yielded to Siorsha and then it was Gaten and Savek who wrestled. Savek was crude and vicious in his movements, and Gaten was able to bring him into submission using his own strength against him.

Each group of Knights returned to the mat four or five more times. The General was certain they must be hot and sweaty under their corse black robes and metal chrome masks. But they didn't move to remove the masks. He wondered if they ever did. He'd seen Ren without his mask on rare occasions. Starkiller base being one of them.

In between her matches, Siorsha reviewed techniques with Rey in the corner. The Knight went over practical defense positions, things that were basic training for academy cadets. The girl listened patiently and followed Siorsha's instructions. She didn't participate in the matches, only watched as Siorsha pointed out errors in technique during each sparring session.

Ren also gave calm correction and guidance to each Knight after their match, he seemed different. Around his Knights he was almost patient, caring even? It was slightly disturbing to see the change. Especially when the General knew he could also be brash and ruthless.

He leaned his head back against the pole, this was such a waste of his day. He ought to be reviewing reports and preparing for the attack on D'Qar, not sitting here watching Ren and his Knights wrestle. He began to feel that Snoke thought nothing more of him than being an over glorified babysitter to a prisoner. But then again, he supposed Snoke couldn't very well put Ren in charge of the girl. Who knows what might happen.

Finally, Ren and Barris took the mat, and the General felt this might be an exciting match but Ren was able to pin Barris in only a few seconds. After Ren's match, the Knights regrouped, and the General slowly made his way over. He ought to make more than just an appearance, lest they forget who he was.

They each acknowledged him with a slight nod of the head. Barris and Siorsha bowing slightly, while Trian and Savek allowed only a tip of their helmets.

"General," Trian said. "Care to join our session?"

"Thank you, but I'm sure I would be quite ill-matched," the General replied with a smirk. "I don't possess your special gifts."

Ren just stared at him. One of the Knights, he wasn't sure who snickered quietly behind their black chrome mask.

"You came on a good day. It's hand to hand combat today," Trian offered, regarding the General with another tilt of his helmet.

"You could always fight Rey. She can't use the Force with those binders on." Siorsha suggested, almost a taunt.

The girl started at that, glancing from Siorsha to Ren and then back to the General in mild discomfort.

The General didn't like the idea, and yet, at the same time, it was tempting. They would be more evenly matched with the girl unable to use her special abilities. After all, he did want to see what she was truly made of. He wanted to see if she could best him the way she'd bested Ren.

Almost on queue Ren spoke, "I don't think that's a good idea."

The Knights snapped to attention when he spoke, the General was not sure how he had gained their loyalty, but it was apparent they regarded him with an almost godlike reverence.

But the girl, her eyes narrowed at his words and she pursed her lips.

"I'd thank you not to speak for me."

She glared up at Ren, and he didn't respond. He only bowed his head to her. She turned back to the General.

"If the General thinks he can handle it," she said, giving a wry smile. "I'm not as practiced with wrestling, but I think I could hold my own. With or without the Force."

The General couldn't help but smile. A girl with a bit of fire. He liked that.

"I'm game if you are," he replied curtly. He could feel Ren gaping at him. He ignored it.

The girl gave him another small grin and then followed Trian to the mat, who set her into position and then waved the General over.

He removed his coat and gloves and set them carefully on the edge of the mat and then rolled his sleeves up. He wasn't dressed for this exactly, but he could make do.

He knelt down across from her and gingerly placed his arms out, hands braced on her shoulders. When her fingers brushed against the soft cotton of his uniform he stiffened. He couldn't remember the last time someone had touched him, other than the women he paid to touch him that is. Her hands were gentle but steady, and he felt the metal of the binders resting against his collarbone. His eyes met hers, and he saw something for a moment, a blush creeping up her cheeks, and he thought her eyes were stunning, and he thought she might be thinking the same thing about his eyes. But then Trian shouted.

He barely registered Trian calling for the match to begin. But the girl didn't miss it, she wrapped her left arm around his neck and swung herself up onto his back in under a second. Her legs crossed tightly over his torso. Her left arm was crushing his windpipe while her right arm tried to pull him off balance. She succeeded, knocking one of his hands out from under him and he face planted onto the mat.

"Yield!" She nearly screamed into his ear, startling him and forcing him further into the mat as she pulled his arm behind his back, twisting it sharply. He was certain he heard one of the ties on his uniform shirt rip. He gave a pained grunt and then used the full force of his legs to push himself up and roll over onto his back, crushing her under him. She released her hold on his neck when the wind was knocked out of her.

Suddenly, the years of academy training managed to kick into gear, and the General moved without thinking. He grabbed the girl's arm that had just released his neck, and he rolled over till he was on top of her, pinning her arm above her head. He straddled her and then grabbed the other arm, trying to pin that one as well.

She fought him and an open hand connected with his face. He felt the sting of it and for a moment almost hit back. But he was still in control, he managed to grasp her wrists and pin them both above her head.

"Yield!" He commanded, he was still straddling her, pinning her arms above her head with one hand. His other side trying to steady her as she squirmed under him. She broke loose of his hold, and he reached out to grab her wrists again.

He didn't see her hips turn and her leg move to wrap around his torso, he was momentarily surprised by her show of flexibility. But he only had a second to appreciate this new knowledge when she moved again and kicked him with the heel of her foot. He suddenly realized the benefit of the Knights' masks.

Blood gushed from his nose and down his lip freely, but he managed to grab hold of her ankle and pin her back down underneath him. He was over her again, pressing her into the mat with all his strength, trying to fight her movements. He felt a bit light headed suddenly, a little nauseous as well. He separated her wrists and pinned them both above her head, trying to gain back control.

But she moved too quickly, bringing her knee up hard between his legs. He'd left himself unprotected. The pain nearly blinded him and then she kneed him again. His head throbbed, and he suddenly felt woozy. He collapsed, right on top of the girl. She tried to push him off, but his weight was too much for her. He heard her gasping and felt her arms pushing against his shoulders, but he couldn't move, he was almost too stunned. He thought he heard someone yelling at him and then he felt large hands pulling him up and swinging him around and he registered the masked face of Kylo Ren before he felt the fist strike his face. Then everything went dark.

When the General finally opened his eyes or his eye, everything above him was blurry, and he still felt nauseous. Trian Ren and the girl were staring down at him. One of his eyes felt tight and heavy, he tried to blink but he couldn't.

"Are you alright?" The girl asked, kneeling beside him and gently pressing a palm to the side of his face.

"What happened?" He asked, trying to sit up. Trian pressed a hand to his chest.

"Take it slow," Trian ordered gently.

"What happened!" The General repeated angrily. He didn't like being ignored.

"You slipped," the girl answered quietly, "when I kneed you, you slipped, and you were very heavy, and I couldn't push you off, and I couldn't breathe." She stroked the side of his face with her finger, almost a caress. He must look horrible for her to show such concern.

"Were you the one who hit me?" He asked, touching the swollen flesh around his eye carefully and then wincing at the pain. The blood on his face had dried, but his nose still felt incredibly sore.

She shook her head, "No."

"Was it Ren who hit me?"

She nodded slowly. Trian looked from the General to the girl.

"He thought you were crushing her deliberately," Trian said. "Barris and I pulled him off you."

"I see," the General replied, straightening out the collar of his uniform. The girl removed her hand from his face. "And Where is Kylo Ren?"

"He uhhh. . . " Trian glanced around the room, "he left."

"I see," the General said. He wanted badly to stand, but he didn't want to pull away from the girl. Her knees were pressed into his side, and her hand was now resting on his shoulder.

"He shouldn't have hit you," the girl said quietly. Her hand squeezed his shoulder, and he chanced a glance at her face. She looked concerned, upset even.

"You're right, he shouldn't have hit me." He winced, his tongue wasn't nearly as swollen as it had been yesterday, but the words made it hurt.

"We shouldn't have fought," she said.

"Perhaps," the General replied. "Or perhaps, Kylo Ren could learn some self-control."

Trian rose at that. "I think it's time for you to leave General. Perhaps a visit to the med bay?"

"I agree," the General pulled away from the girl, trying to rise. The girl stood with him and tried to steady him when he swayed. She gripped his arm and wrapped her fingers around his elbow. He leaned against her, nearly forgetting that she was the reason he was in this mess, to begin with.

He felt another wave of nausea, but he managed to suppress it. After a few moments, he was able to walk without her help though the floor swayed under him uncomfortably as he did.

They made their way to the med bay where he was thoroughly examined. He received a bacta patch and a reprimand from the medical droid who advised him to steer clear of that particular training droid in the future. They had told the nosy droid that he had a nasty run-in with a battle droid during his training. The medical droid took it in stride.

The girl sat quietly in the corner while he was examined, she looked almost guilty every time she met his eyes.

After their visit to the med bay, they returned to his quarters where he responded to messages and met via holocall with his subordinates. He wasn't to leave the girl alone in his quarters to visit the bridge. But he was able to conduct his work efficiently in the comfort of his room. The girl, it seemed was happy to stay in her room and read on her datapad.

Lunch came and went uneventfully as he opted to eat while he worked and the girl took her meal in her room. The hours passed by and before long it was dinner. He hadn't even realized it was that late, he'd been too absorbed in his work.

He allowed the droids to set the table for him and the girl. A rare Nerf steak with a side of corobb salad. He had ordered glowwine, something he hadn't had since his academy days. He had also ordered dessert again, a delicious fried beignet topped with sprinkled sugar.

When he beckoned the girl out of her room for the meal he was pleased to see that she seemed more at ease with him. The guilty look was gone. She sat and ate the Nerf steak and sipped her glowwine as if they'd been dining together for years.

"I am sorry about earlier," she said, breaking the silence.

"It wasn't your fault," he replied almost immediately.

"Well, it was fun to wrestle you anyway," she said shyly.

"I assure you, I felt the same about you," he said giving a small smile. "Though I think that was a rather cheap shot you got in at the end."

"Well, you left yourself wide open," she quipped, "and when you're a girl growing up alone in the deserts of Jakku, you have to use any means necessary to win a fight."

They fell silent at that. He hated the thought of her growing up under such harsh conditions. He'd been to Jakku as a young boy, he couldn't imagine living in a place like that. It pained him to think of what she might have gone through. All that suffering. And all for what? For her to be killed at the hands of Snoke?

"Was it hard?" He asked suddenly.

"Was what hard?"

"Growing up like that? By yourself."

"Yes," she replied slowly. "Growing up without a family makes it difficult to know who you can trust."

"Growing up with a family can be much the same way."

"You wouldn't understand. It's lonely. Having a family means you have safety, security," she said, studying him.

He leaned back and crossed his arms, "I assure you, you can be just as lonely with a family."

She looked down at her plate and shook her head, "I'm beginning to understand that. Sometimes families have expectations for us. Ideas that we have to fulfill their legacy. It can be a large burden."

How did she know that? It was almost as if she was speaking to his childish self, but he knew that there was most likely only one person she could have heard that from.

He gave her a small nod, "You're right. That's why we have to forge our own path. Something different. Something for ourselves."

She poked at her remaining food with her fork. "That's true. But at least having a family allows us some direction. I don't know. Guidance? I've never really had anyone like that."

"My father liked to give direction," the General said contemptuously. "Guidance I suppose. But I learned his lessons well."

"I don't remember my father," she said quietly, "or my mother."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't really know my mother either. She always reminded me to be polite, I remember that. But she sent me off to my father when I was still very young."

He took a long sip of the glowwine and hesitated, "I was a bastard. My mother was my father's mistress." He said the last word with such distaste.

She gave him a sympathetic look, "were you always so lonely?"

He thought for a moment, "I suppose not, I didn't really realize how lonely I had been until I met Alice."

"Alice?"

"My wife," he said taking in a short breath and then another sip of glowwine.

"Your wife?" She said, shocked.

"Yes, well, I suppose she isn't my wife anymore," he said with a bitter laugh.

"Why? What happened?"

"She died," he continued, "three almost four years ago."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. "I'm so sorry."

He took another sip of his glowwine and bit his lip, "Yes, well. It can't really be helped."

She gave him a questioning look but said nothing. He felt the familiar buzz of the endorphins as he drained his glass of the glowwine. He hadn't talked about Alice in years. No, not just years. He hadn't talked about Alice ever. Not even with Phasma.

He felt the glowwine flowing through him, and suddenly everything felt very safe and warm, but at the same time, he was alert. He let out a soft chuckle.

"What is it?" She asked leaning forward across the table.

"It's just," he said emboldened by the endorphin-rich wine. "I've never talked to anyone about her."

"Not ever?"

"Never," he said weakly. "She died in a bombing lead by the Resistance. By General Organa and that fool Poe Dameron. Though at the time I don't think the Resistance was even fully formed then."

He noticed a shudder run through her and her expression changed, eyes widening.

"Are you sure?"

"Quite," he said.

"How horrible," she said quietly.

"That wasn't even the worst part," he said, standing suddenly. He needed something to dull his senses. He pulled out a spare bottle of Corellian whisky from his cupboard and poured himself a shot. Self-medication had been a vice of his that had only gotten worse after Alice's death, but he didn't care at the moment. If he was going to talk about Alice, he needed something stronger than glowwine.

"Tell me," she urged him patiently.

He poured himself a second shot and offered her one. She smiled at him, that soft smile again and nodded. He couldn't help but see that smile and think of Alice. His breathing hitched for a moment, and he poured her a shot of whisky.

"Just one," she said. He smiled at that too and watched as she took the shot without complaining though she made a wrinkled face at the aftertaste.

He then settled himself onto one of his plush reading couches with the bottle of whisky and the beignet.

"What was the worst part?" She asked. She had followed him to the couches and was nestled into one with a knit grey woolen blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She gingerly held the dish with the dessert, taking small bites as she looked at him.

He felt a sudden pang, he hadn't ever actually spoken the words out loud. To anyone. Ever. He took a swig of the whisky and felt it warm him. It gave him the courage he needed to continue.

"That room you're staying in," he gestured to the attached sleeping chamber and paused feeling his throat tighten. "It was our nursery."

He let the words hang between them. She slowly set the plate down on the end table nearest her and straightened up. He realized that saying the words out loud made him feel numb and disconnected.

"You had a child?" She asked softly, her eyes were moist as they found his.

He looked away and took another swig of the whisky. He didn't want to feel anything about it. He'd spent nearly four years trying to stop feeling things about it.

"She was eighteen weeks pregnant when the bombing happened," he said, feeling the sting of the whisky still on his dry throat. "We were going to pick a name out when she came back. She'd been assigned a routine officer round at a small weapons manufacturing plant on Jenra ."

"That's awful," she said, breathing out painfully.

"I always liked the name Rae," he smiled to himself. "I knew another Rae when I was a child. She was always kind to me. Protected me from my father."

The girl smiled, "Rey is a good name. For a boy or a girl."

The General felt his throat tighten again.

"We were having a girl," he whispered hoarsely. The words washed over him. He felt the stinging in his eyes as they filled with tears.

No, no, no, he wouldn't cry. Not in front of the girl. He tried to shake the tears away.

At first his grief over Alice's death had been a constant cloud over him, but then the grief gave way to guilt for not having been there. Not having been able to protect her. Guilt that she had insisted on continuing to work through her pregnancy even though their First Order health insurance allowed her leave after the start of her second trimester. Then the guilt had been replaced with white hot anger, anger at the Resistance for their part in making his life ever the more miserable. For taking away the one thing he'd never known that he always wanted.

The girl's eyes met his again, wet and glistening. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged as he felt the tears prick at his eyes, "I can't change the past. It happened, and its gone now. My one chance at happiness." He heaved out a ragged breath.

At this, the girl wiped her eyes, "I suppose we should take our chances when we have them."

"Yes, we should. I suppose it's all we can really do." He set down his dessert plate, leaving the beignet untouched. At some point, he had lost his appetite. His head buzzed with heaviness from the whisky and something in his chest ached. He hadn't expected to talk about Alice, and now that he had he hadn't realized how desperate he had been to share her story with someone.

Something about the girl made him feel raw and open. He could tell her things he'd never told anyone. Was it because he knew she was going to die tomorrow? Knowing that Snoke was going to cut her down, did that make it easier to be so vulnerable? She would never have the chance to tell anyone about tonight. Except perhaps Kylo Ren.

He found he didn't care if Ren knew about Alice, about the baby. He didn't care if Ren thought him weak or foolish for having loved someone. He didn't care at all what Ren thought. He only cared about the girl.

"What is that old saying?" He asked, pausing to take a small sip of his whisky. "It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?"

"I've never heard that before," she said wiping at her eyes again, "but that sounds right."

"I suppose that I'm lucky in many ways," he went on. "Some people never have that chance to love. Some people think it's a weakness. I suppose my father thought it was a weakness."

"Your father," the girl began, "He sounds like a cruel man."

"He was," the General admitted, "and he taught me everything he knew. And I learned well."

"Well, you're only half his son," the girl offered. "Your mother—"

"Was a whore. A dirty, wretched kitchen whore," he interjected.

"Surely, you can't believe that," she argued.

"I don't know what to believe," he lamented. "All my life I heard whispers about my mother and my father. He was married, and I was a bastard. That's all I really needed to know."

"So you hated them both?"

"My parents? Yes, I hated them both," he sighed. "They were careless and unkind, and I never wanted to be like either of them. I wanted to be better. To be stronger." He sat up, setting down the whisky bottle with clink as it hit the floor.

"I think we all strive for that," she said absently tugging at the hem of her blanket.

He shifted uncomfortably, his chair suddenly felt hard and unwelcoming.

"We aren't like them you know. We are better," he said with some finality.

She smiled at him warmly, "Yes, we are."

He suddenly felt very anxious, the reality was beginning to set in that tomorrow she wouldn't be here. She would be gone. Dead.

No, no, he wouldn't let that happen. He would find a way. He wouldn't let her die like that. He could do something about this. He could change things.

He shifted again, giving her a tired smile.

"Do you want to watch a holovid?" He asked.

She gave him a small nod, "I don't think I could fall asleep right now if I tried."

He turned on the large wall panel that faced the bed and selected a holovid documentary about the Gualaar of Naboo. That would definitely put him to sleep. He then moved to the bed and propped himself up with pillows. She studied him for a moment and then proceeded to join him on the bed.

Suddenly he felt like a teenage boy again, sitting next to his first crush, some senator's daughter. His heart was pounding, and he felt his stomach churn.

She had pulled several pillows up behind her back and leaned against them, she'd also taken the blanket from reading chair and laid it across her legs. In the soft lighting, she almost looked peaceful, content even.

Only twenty minutes into the film and he chanced a glance back at the girl. She was asleep, snoring softly and cradling her head with one hand. He let out a shaky breath, she was so beautiful, the way the dim light played across her features. Something inside him clenched and he had to look away from her.

He thought of Alice. Waking in the middle of the night and seeing someone next to him always helped his bad dreams, usually about his father, drift away. He would wrap himself around her and settle back in, and he would usually be able to fall back asleep and sometimes even sleep through the night.

It had been years since he thought about that. Though he supposed that if Alice were still alive then they would have a little baby girl now and neither would be getting much sleep. A daughter, he would have had a daughter. Not to mention that he would have been a father. The thought was painful. He hoped he would've been better than his father. No, he knew he would've been better.

He glanced back at the documentary and tried to focus, the narrator, Thaneel Ogera of Naboo was going on about the lifecycle of the Gualaar and how they affected the ecosystem, something to do with the Gungans but he hadn't been listening.

He had nearly dozed off when he saw his comm blink and then begin to vibrate on his nightstand. Wearily, he lifted the comm up to check the message.

They would arrive shortly, less than four hours and they would be within range to board The Supremacy.

He suddenly couldn't breathe. It felt as if an invisible hand had tightened its grip around his throat again. Sharp spikes of icy fear winding and coiling themselves through his stomach. This was it.


	6. Chapter 6

Counterfeit Balance

 **CHAPTER 6:**

He set his comm down and watched her sleep, aching to run his fingers through her hair, down her back. She stirred slightly, and he hoped she hadn't heard his thoughts.

He laid down next to her slowly, propping himself up on his side with his elbow. She had her back to him as she slept. But then she was rolling over to him and tangling herself in his limbs, wrapping a leg over his hip.

She was still asleep, but she was facing him now, forehead resting against his chest. She murmured something in her sleep. A name? He couldn't be sure. He leaned forward, pressing his chin to the top of her head gently, trying as much to listen for more as to be near her.

She shifted again, she must be a restless sleeper. He pulled back to look at her, and she slowly lifted her head, her eyes half closed.

Then suddenly she was pulling him down on top of her, her lips finding his and crashing against him. He froze for a moment, fighting the urge and then he finally gave in returning the kiss. Her soft lips moved with his, and she tasted so sweet, almost reminding him of the taste of his favorite clait berry wine. He used one hand to cradle the back of her head as he pressed her into the mattress. She felt so solid beneath him and stars, the way she was squirming under him kindled his whole body, making him shiver from head to toe.

He broke the kiss to stare at her, her eyes were open now looking up at him. She was breathing heavily, and her focus trailed from his face down to his chest.

Did she want this? Did she want him? He searched her eyes for some sort of confirmation.

But she looked confused, afraid even. He could almost see the spike of fear as she assessed her situation. She had to be aware of his erection, pressing firmly into her thigh. He felt his face redden, his hair had fallen down his forehead, he must look a mess.

With shaky hands, he lifted off of her bracing himself over her, "I'm sorry, y—you pulled me towards you. I—I thought. . ." He let his voice trail off, only somewhat because he was breathless. His face was crimson, a flush that went all the way down his torso.

The look she gave him was difficult to decipher, especially in the soft light. It was a mix between hesitation and desire. Or perhaps that was his own foolish interpretation. She slowly brought her hands up to his face, he winced at the contact, his eye and nose still throbbing. He hadn't noticed the pain during their kiss.

She cradled his face, and he suddenly felt like a little boy. His mother had done something similar the last time she had seen him. He shook his head, wanting to rid himself of that memory. This was not the time to be thinking of his mother.

The girl removed her hands from his face, furrowing her brows. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down on top of her. The hard metal of her binders cutting into the skin of his shoulders. But he didn't mind.

Then he was lost again, in lips, tongues, and teeth. This time she didn't bite. This time she opened her mouth for him, urging him on. He didn't know how long they kissed like this, he'd nearly forgotten to breathe. All he knew was that he wanted more, more of her lips, more of her tongue, more of the feel of her.

He pulled away and lifted himself off of her, then reached to rid her of her tunic and pulled his own shirt off as well. He unwound the rough fabric of her arm wraps as quickly as he could. She helped him pull off her leggings and then she fumbled at the buckle of his belt and the buttons on his trousers. She tugged them off silently.

Then they were both in just their underthings. He wanted to remove her breast band immediately, but he took a moment to just look at her. She was toned and tan everywhere. His eyes wandered up and then down again, resting on her face. She was studying him as well. He couldn't place the look on her face, he thought she might be appraising him.

She looked away.

She had been assessing him, and it seemed she had found him wanting.

The tight coil in his stomach turned from fire to ice.

"I—I," he hadn't expected his voice to waver so much. He tried to steady himself. "We can stop. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you."

He glanced back at her again, she wasn't looking at him.

"It's just," he started. "It's been a very long time. For me. I didn't mean to be forceful."

"No, it's not that," she was embarrassed. "It's that I've never—"

Sudden realization dawning on him.

"You're a virgin?" He whispered the words quietly.

She nodded, "In the conventional sense. I never had the opportunity. I mean— there were opportunities, it's just that when you're always hungry, there's never time to. . ."

"I understand," he replied then cocked his head in confusion. "Wait conventional sense?" What the hell did she mean by conventional?

The pieces slowly began to fit together. She could talk to Ren through the Force. Could she, could she touch him through the Force as well?

He felt sick.

She looked at him reassuringly, "I—I do want to. I just don't want to. . . Disappoint you."

"Disappoint me?" He blanched, his stomach had started to settle. "I doubt you could if you tried. I just— I don't want to hurt you." The last words were difficult to form. Was he afraid he would hurt her? Or was he afraid she might hurt him? He wasn't sure.

"We're overthinking this," she said abruptly. Then she was undoing the fastening of her breast band. She let it fall away. He couldn't help the startled intake of breath.

Her breasts were better than anything he could have imagined. The perfect size for his palm, he reached out a tentative hand, trying to decide what she wanted. He cupped one breast and then the other, reaching forward he wrapped his lips around one pert nipple and sucked. She gave a little whimper and reached out to grip his hair. He sucked and licked, and all the while marveled at the feel of her. She closed her eyes, sighing as he slowly released her breast.

She let him trail warm kisses from her neck down between her breasts and then the curve of her stomach. She gave a small moan when he began to kiss the bones of her hips, and he tugged down her plain white underwear. He leaned back, taking in the sight of her. She almost immediately crossed her legs and looked away.

"You know," he whispered, "you are a work of art. Quite breathtaking."

"Really?" She asked, not quite believing him.

"Really," he said slowly parting her knees. "Is this alright?" He asked as he planted kisses on either side of their thighs. She gave a small hum, and he continued.

When he finally pressed his lips to her folds she shuddered against him, she was wet. She was wet for him. The thought sent a thrill through him, spurring him on.

He dragged his tongue across her folds and up up up till she arched her back and let out a soft moan. He sucked at her mound and dragged his tongue up and down again slowly. She propped the backs of her thighs up onto his shoulders, and he gripped her hips to steady himself. If there was any skill in his sexual arsenal, he was confident in, this was it.

His ears filled with her soft groans as he worked, his lips and tongue trying to bring her to the brink. He lavished her with the flat of his tongue till she was incoherently moaning and bucking her hips up against his lips. He took special care with the bud at the apex of her thighs, every so often sliding his tongue across it till she gave out a pleasurable gasp.

He'd read something once in some trashy holobook about using aurebesh to spell out words when one gave oral and so far, it hasn't disappointed. Ironically, the word resistance was deemed a favorite.

Finally, he took a single digit and inserted it slowly into her wet heat. She was tight, she hadn't been lying for his benefit. He added another finger, and she gave a low groan, somewhere between pleasure and pain. When he inserted a third finger, she gave a short gasp, definitely pain.

He lifted his head, "If it's too much, I—."

"No, keep going," she said almost breathless, her fingers fisting in his hair.

He lowered his head back down between her thighs and pumped his three fingers in and out of her in time with his lips and tongue working on her. It wasn't long before she gasped out and he felt her clench around his fingers, his cock twitched with her movements.

He'd nearly come. Just from watching her. Just from touching her.

Once the tremors of her orgasm had faded, he rose from the bed and removed his dark black undershorts. He stood awkwardly, aware that she was watching him. He gulped.

"I know I'm not—," he wanted to say he knew he wasn't Kylo Ren, but she cut him off.

"You look," she started propping herself up on her elbows. "Come here."

He did as he was told, kneeling on the edge of the bed. She glanced down at his erection and then back up at his face.

"Can I?" She asked.

"Yes," he replied barely able to manage the word as she had already wrapped one hand around him and slowly slid it up and down his length. He groaned, the feel of her, he closed his eyes. She set a maddening pace, and he was already so close, he had to still her hand.

"I'll come in your hand if you keep that up," he grimaced. "I'd rather be inside you."

She didn't say anything, but she bent her head forward and took him in her mouth. It was nearly torture, and he was quickly losing all semblance of control. Then her tongue glided up the base of his shaft, and he lost it. All of it.

He came, blindingly fast and tried incoherently to form some word of warning, but he couldn't. It was a slight convulsion, and his brain reeled, he trembled, looking down at her. She didn't seem to miss a beat, she sucked and licked the entire time he throbbed inside her mouth.

When she finally pulled off him he was gasping, he'd never, ever come like that. No control, just pure and blinding pleasure.

"I didn't—," he apologized, "I didn't mean to." He couldn't form a full sentence in this state. He felt light-headed.

She gave him a smile, "Does that mean it was good?"

"Good?" Was it good?" Stars, he couldn't function. "That was better than good."

She laughed.

"I didn't mean to come," he said quickly, "I just, you felt so good, and I couldn't think."

"It's alright," she said, giving him that smile again. "Could we still?"

"I think I just need a moment," He said raggedly. He was panting in a way he was sure she would find unbecoming. She watched him as he moved to lay next to her on the bed, chest still heaving.

"Here, let me," he said rolling over to bury his face between her thighs again. She didn't protest. In fact, she exclaimed loudly when he made her come a second time. And by then he was ready again.

He settled himself over her, his weight pressing her down into the mattress. She gave him a look of apprehension as he lined himself up with her entrance.

"This may hurt," he said carefully. "If it's too much, you have only to say the word, and I'll stop."

She nodded at him, wincing as he breached her. He let out a soft groan as he entered her, she was impossibly warm and soft. He felt her tighten around him as he thrust deeper. Then he hit it, the barrier, and she hissed. He struggled to maintain some sort of control, she was like a vice around him.

"Keep going," she urged through her gritted teeth.

He pressed his hips hard, and she gave a quiet sob, and then he was sheathed fully inside her. She felt like velvet, but slick and hot. He had to take a moment to stop, to wait. If he moved right away, he might come, and he didn't want to be done so quickly.

"I'll go slow," he whispered. He rocked his hips back and forth until he had a steady rhythm and she seemed to relax. She pulled him down for another kiss and wrapped her legs across his lower back, hooking her ankles together.

Stars the feel of her heat around him, so tight. Almost pulling him out of his body with pleasure. She gasped out moans against his lips, and he buried his head in her shoulder, taking a moment to breathe in the scent of her hair.

He kept a languid pace, slowly moving in and out of her and then his movements became erratic, he was so close so nearly there.

"I'm going to—," he breathed desperately into her neck as he hit his release. He must've hit the right spot because he felt her clench around him, pulsing in time. She let out a long moan as he filled her.

He didn't want to pull away, he wanted to stay there, an entangled mesh of limbs and sweat. When he finally did pull out, he saw her wince.

"Are you alright? Was that alright?" He asked, panicking for a moment. Her eyes were, and she looked as if she was holding back tears.

"I'm fine," she said, sitting up and wrapping the woolen blanket around herself. "It was good, it felt, it felt very good."

The look on her face told a different story. His chest ached at the sight of it.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked anxiously.

She shook her head, "No, it felt wonderful. But—."

And then she was crying, sobbing into the blanket. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her frame. She leaned into the touch, loudly gasping for air and weeping into his shoulder.

"Shh shh," he tried to comfort. But part of him felt bitter. Had she used him? Had she even wanted him? Was this some game? Would she, did she think he'd forced her into this?

He'd nearly forgotten that she was more than ten years his junior. He felt sick again, she was almost a child. He should've stopped to think. But he hadn't and now. . .

"It's alright," he whispered into her ear, trying to calm himself as much as her. "I'm sorry. You weren't ready, I should've—."

"It's not your fault," she said sniffling. "I wanted to do it. I just. I just didn't realize what it was really like. How vulnerable you feel."

He pulled away, setting his mouth in a hard line.

"You didn't realize how difficult it is to remove emotion from sex?" He was accusatory. He'd been trying to do that with every girl ever since Alice. And now, when he was beginning to allow himself to feel something. She didn't want that. At least, not with him.

He rose from the bed and began to dress. He couldn't look at her, he didn't want to look at her.

"I'm going to the fresher," he ground out. "Don't try to escape. The door is locked, and there are six guards out there."

He turned his back and left her there, on the bed, wrapped in nothing but his woolen blanket. He tried not to replay everything in his mind as he rinsed himself, trying to wash her smell off his body.

She had wanted this too hadn't she? Her want had given him something, rekindled something within him.

Hope.

She'd made him hope, he thought bitterly. He washed and exited the fresher quickly. Toweled himself dry quickly as well, spurred by anger and spite. He stormed out of the fresher, wrapped only in his towel, and fully intending to yell at her. Scream even.

But she was gone. Her clothes were gone. His woolen blanket was gone.

In a fit of panic, he checked the monitor.

She was in her room, lying on the bed and bawling into the pillows. He sighed in relief. She could stay in there for all he cared. It served her right. Using him like that, making him think she could—.

Making him think she might want him.

He marched to the keypad and pinned in the code to secure the door. Then he threw himself on the bed. He needed sleep, but he knew he wouldn't find it. If he couldn't sleep, he wanted to rage.

No, no, he wanted to lay on his bed and weep. He was tired, far too tired to go through this. And tomorrow Snoke would have her killed.

He looked around for Millicent, he needed to feel something soft and warm. He needed something that was his and only his. He searched under the bed and around the room, he even checked in the fresher. Millicent was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps, perhaps she was in the room with the girl. He hesitated and then checked the monitor on his datapad again.

Indeed, Millicent was with the girl, curled up in her arms as she sobbed. The traitor. Millicent had left him in his hour of need. The muscles in his jaw twitched. He climbed onto the bed and laid down on his stomach, pulling all the pillows under him.

His last bitter thoughts before he mercifully fell asleep were all about the girl.


	7. Chapter 7

Counterfeit Balance

 **CHAPTER 7:**

The buzzing comm woke him from his groggy slumber. He reached for it without looking, but only succeeded in knocking it off his night table.

His eye and nose still throbbed with pain from the match yesterday, and his stomach felt hollow. He pushed himself up and off the bed and knelt down to search for his comm. He found it under the bed and saw it indicated a message.

They had arrived. As soon as he was able; he was to report to his shuttle with Kylo Ren and the girl. Snoke was ready to see them.

The blood had all but drained from his face, he wasn't prepared. He didn't know what he was going to do.

He dressed in his standard-issue First Order uniform and barely had time to style his hair when the comm on the door buzzed. Thankfully it was the meal droid and not Kylo Ren. He had no idea how he was going to handle Ren after last night.

The droid blipped and bleeped as it laid out a pot of caf and several small breakfast pastries. The General glanced at the time. It was still early in his sleep cycle.

When the droid exited with a string of long beeps and the General was thankful for the silence. He glanced over at the door to the girl's room.

When had it become _her_ room?

He set his jaw firmly, he wouldn't be swayed. Not by her.

It only took a moment for him to realize he was wrong. He allowed the door to slide open and his eyes rested on her sleeping form, Millicent curled up near her feet. She looked peaceful, beautiful even. He clenched his teeth.

She must've heard the door, or felt he presence, he couldn't be sure which. She stirred, sitting up slowly and looking around the room. He tried not to look at her face, but he couldn't help it. Her eyes were puffy and swollen from crying. He looked away, ashamed.

"We need to leave," he said. "We have rendezvoused with The Supremacy, and we are to meet with the Supreme Leader." He turned on his heel. "Shower and dress but do it quickly."

"The Supreme Leader does not like to wait," he said over his shoulder.

He'd finished his third cup of caf when the girl emerged from the hygiene room dressed in her dark grey tunic and leggings. He poured her a mug of caf and set it down on the edge of the table. She tried to catch his eyes, but he looked away.

She took the mug and drained it quickly. Then started in on the pastries. He wondered if she was always so hungry. He, on the other hand, couldn't bring himself to eat anything.

He felt guilty, guilty for having hurt her and then bitter towards her for having hurt him. And he couldn't get a read on her at all. Why would she have done _that_ , with _him_?

The only thought that seemed to satisfy him was that she was using him like she'd used Ren. There was no way she would have really chosen Ren over him anyway. Right?

When the door buzzed, they both jumped. He was wary, on edge. He had been since the moment he met the girl.

He took a deep breath and opened the door to find the towering form of Kylo Ren. He was radiating something, fear? No, the General knew that stench. He was radiating anger.

Ren strode into the room and slammed his fist against the comm panel, allowing the door to slide shut behind him. His gloved hand shot out and gripped the General's shirt almost immediately.

"What did you do?" Ren growled.

The General couldn't breathe for a moment. What exactly did Ren know? He straightened up to his full height, nearly eye to eye with Ren.

"What do you think I did?" He asked, allowing the fury from the previous night to rise to the surface.

Ren tightened his grasp on the General's shirt and pulled him forward until they were face to face. The General was ready, he didn't care, he would fight Ren. He most certainly couldn't take all his rage out on the girl. But he could take it out on Ren.

After the way he'd treated the girl he probably deserved a beating from Ren anyway.

"I told you I'd kill yo—," Ren started.

Then the girl was between them, pushing them apart.

"Stop!" She cried angrily. "This won't help anything."

Ren released the General's uniform suddenly and clenched his hands into fists. The General straightened again, adjusting his shirt.

"I didn't ask to have her here," he said unpleasantly.

Ren cocked his head to the side, "and yet, you found a way to take advantage of the situation."

It took everything inside him to push the rage back down. He hadn't wanted this. Well, to be honest, he had wanted her. He just hadn't wanted to deal with the consequences.

"It wasn't his fault!" The girl shouted. "It was my fault."

They both turned to look at her. Surprised.

"It was my fault," she said again more quietly. "Please don't hurt him."

The General bit his lip, he couldn't stomach another second of this.

"Let's go," he ordered, waving a hand as he left the room. Ren and the girl followed behind him.

The ride to _The Supremacy_ was painful. They all sat in silence unable to look at one another. When he did glance up and found the girl looking at him, he glared for a moment and then looked away.

Did she have any idea what she'd done to him?

They were all thankful when the shuttle docked, and they were able to leave the cramped space.

It was a long wait for the lift to the throne room, and then they were back in a confined area again. Ren seemed to be the only calm one aboard. Which was a terrible sign. The General was uneasy, nervously crossing and uncrossing his arms. The girl was glancing between Ren and the General with trepidation.

And the General had the painful feeling that she was talking to Ren again, through the Force he supposed. Plotting possibly.

He's going to kill her. Snoke is going to kill the girl. Or make Ren do it.

As much as he tried not to let the thought nag at him, it did. His eyes met Ren's mask, and he decided he would tell him. He couldn't stand to let the girl die. No matter how she had treated him, she wasn't one of the Resistance members that were responsible for his wife's death. She was just a girl.

He wasn't sure his head or his heart could take it if he lost someone else. No, he knew he wouldn't be able to take it if he lost her. Not after he'd been so vulnerable with her.

He thought hard, trying to project the thought right at Ren.

 _Save her, save the girl. Snoke wants you to kill her._

"You don't have to try so hard," Ren said annoyedly. "You're practically shouting."

"Then you know what you need to do," The General replied angrily.

"You can't be here for that," Ren said simply.

"For what?" The girl asked.

"You'll see," Ren replied calmly. It appeared that at least one of them had a plan.

"I could help," The General argued.

"No," Ren said, matter-of-fact. "You can't be here. No one can know. You have to look innocent."

The General nodded. They would need someone to tell the story he supposed.

The throne room was vast and red, and far from welcoming. The eight Praetorian guards lined the room, weapons at the ready for any threat to the Supreme Leader.

Snoke was lounging in his gold robes on the throne that was the foremost decoration in the room. He gave a smile, dangerous and ghastly.

"Supreme Leader," The General spoke first. "I have brought you the scavenger. Rey of Jakku."

Ren and the General knelt before Snoke. The girl stood defiantly.

"Well done General," Snoke said slowly. Then he arched a brow and in a mocking tone said, "I hope you were a good host to our guest. I hope you satisfied all of her needs."

The General gulped, it seemed everyone was aware of what had transpired between himself and the girl last night. He didn't reply. He waited.

"Leave us," Snoke said waving a hand toward the lift. "I will deal with the girl and Ren alone. You are to carry out my orders regarding the Resistance."

The General nodded, bowed again and turned to take his leave. He saw the curt nod that Ren gave him as he made his way out.

Ren would protect the girl. Ren would handle this.

He hadn't wanted Ren's help in the beginning. But he didn't see any other way now. He tried not to look at the girl as he passed. But he gave in, her eyes were frightened, yet full of determination. That steely resolve behind them that had peaked his interest in the first place. He tried to send her a look that told her how he felt, but he wasn't sure even he knew that. He managed to give her a quick nod and then entered the lift.

When he arrived on the bridge, the battle had already begun. Swarms of Tie fighters and X-Wings dancing around the viewport like a flock of birds. He was frustrated that it appeared as if he wasn't needed at all.

He scowled.

But then Phasma told him that they had captured several Resistance spies, FN-2187 being one of them.

Perhaps this day could get better after all.

When they brought the prisoners before him, he considered waiting to execute them. If only to let the girl say her goodbyes to the traitor. But then he couldn't wait. They were in the middle of a battle.

Things moved quickly after the small Resistance girl bit his finger, he was certainly racking up a large number of wounds on account of the Resistance today. And then the Resistance ship went into hyper speed, slicing through _The Supremacy_ and his world went dark.

He awoke surrounded by fire and death. Bodies of stormtroopers lay strewn about the wreckage, pieces of tie fighters and AT-AT models were everywhere.

His first thought was of the girl. Was she still alive?

He left Phasma, left the stormtroopers and raced back to the throne room. When he entered he found it ablaze, Praetorian guards littering the floor and the mutilated corpse of the Supreme Leader in pieces on the dais.

He found Ren, mask missing, alive but passed out on the floor. The girl however was gone. He left Ren and ran to the side exit, usually heavily guarded. Now it was empty. It led the way to the Supreme Leader's personal shuttle. It was possible the girl had headed there as well. It was the most sensible thing to do after all.

The corridor was on fire, smoke filling the air as he drew his blaster and cautiously made his way down the hall. He didn't want to be taken by surprise if some trigger happy stormtrooper where to find him and mistake him for an enemy. Though he doubted their aim would be good with all the smoke.

It was then he caught sight of her.

"Rey," he said, and he realized it was the first time he'd called her by her name. He returned his blaster to the holster with a sigh of relief.

She turned, in the middle of punching in coordinates on an escape pod.

"You're alive," she said breathlessly.

"I saw the throne room," he said as he stalked toward her, "I saw the remains of Snoke. I even saw Ren."

"There's no time," she said, turning to finish the coordinates. "We have to go."

"Go?" He asked. "Why would we go?"

"The ship!" She said, "It's been blown half to hell. We have to go. We can meet up with Chewie, he has the Falcon. He'll get us out of here."

"And then where? Where will we go?" He asked. "I'm a General of the First Order. I will be tracked down and executed for war crimes."

"You can tell them the truth, tell them how you helped me," she said frantically.

"I committed mass genocide!" He nearly shouted. "I did. Not Ren. _Me._ I designed Starkiller base. I gave the order to fire on Hosnian Prime. I did. That alone is enough to condemn me."

"But you've changed," she said. "You want a family, you want peace, you want—."

"You don't understand," he said, shaking his head. "I can't have those things. My father made sure of it. I'm not bred to be like that. My place is here with the First Order. I'm not meant to have a family."

"But you still could," she replied, turning to him. He was so close to her now, his heart hammering in his chest. His throat constricting tightly. And she wasn't even using her powers on him. He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Stay," he said. "You could stay, you could make things better."

She stilled, and it was then he saw the scrape on her brow, and the dried tears. She was holding the mangled pieces of a lightsaber in one hand.

"I've already turned one offer down," she said hoarsely, her voice breaking. "I can't take yours."

"But you could be happy here," he pleaded. "You and I, we could rule together. We could—."

She took a step back. He tightened his grip on her wrist.

"Let me go," she said, her voice suddenly steady. "Let me go, and I won't hurt you."

He pressed forward desperately, "No, you belong here."

She pulled her arm away, but he reached for her again. Then he was flying back and slamming into the durasteel corridor. His head cracking back against the wall hard. He'd barely noticed that her binders were gone.

He slid down, every part of his body was in pain. He could make her out, coming towards him, through the smoke of the throne room. He felt woozy, if he hadn't had a concussion earlier, it was most likely he did now.

She knelt in front of him, her hand tipping his chin up.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I have to go. I hate to leave you, but I can't bring you with me. You're right. They'd only kill you."

He struggled to form a question, "But why? Why did you—?"

"You were so miserable, so lonely," she said softly. "No one should ever have to be that lonely."

She took a deep breath and bent forward, pressing her lips to his for a moment. Then she turned away and faded from view.

Everything seemed to slow down until the General was finally able to stand upright. But by that time, she was gone.

He swore. He might as well go and deal with Ren.

The evacuation of _The Supremacy_ was lengthy, but what was worse was the battle that followed. They pursued the remnants of the Resistance as far as they could. And although he managed to squelch much of the Resistance the girl alluded him. He was more upset over this than the disappearance of General Organa, FN-2187, and Dameron. Hell, even the little Resistance girl that had bitten him had gotten away.

Though he knew the Resistance didn't have many allies left, it didn't seem likely it would be the end of them. Not with General Organa still alive.

His only consolation was that the girl hadn't taken Ren's offer. She hadn't taken Ren with her either. He supposed that meant it was never really a choice between him and Ren. She'd used them both.

Ren quickly took the place of Supreme Leader Snoke, secured by the General's carefully crafted story. The girl had been the one to kill Snoke, she had been far more powerful than any of them realized. Which was partially true. He had to destroy the holovid footage of the throne room, though he watched it first. Something in the looks that Ren and the girl exchanged gave him pause. Maybe she had wanted Ren instead? But Ren had offered her the power too, and she hadn't wanted that. She'd pleaded with Ren. And she looked heartbroken when Ren tried to force her to stay. Did she look that way when she'd left him?

But Ren had wanted to reorder the galaxy. So it seemed that power really was more important to Ren after all. Not a surprise, the General mused.

But Ren didn't last long as Supreme Leader, the troops were loyal to the General, and a divided house cannot stand. When Ren disappeared, he took his Knights with him, leaving the General to pick up all the pieces of a dismantled leadership. He didn't step into the role of Supreme Leader, he wasn't the next in line.

Grand Admiral Yuulis took the place, and for a time it seemed that the Resistance was gone and the First Order had won.

But only for a time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Epilogue**

The General searched for her over the years, eleven to be exact. The pursuit was harder now that it had become personal and not merely a part of his duty. He looked for her in every face as he traveled from star system to system. His soldiers under strict orders to bring every human female Resistance prisoner to him first.

Sometimes he found her, usually in the face of some planet-side harlot. He always paid well when he found someone who looked or reminded him of her. He'd always book a day at the least and would go slowly. After he came, he would cling to the woman and try to sleep.

If he saw her in the face of some Resistance prisoner, however, he was far less kind. But he had told her, he learned from his father well. But that was only when he found her.

More often than not he was disappointed. More often than not he felt the icy stab of fear when he inspected the rubble of some Resistance stronghold, and then, when he didn't find her, it would dissipate till he felt only anger and bitterness.

He let his beard grow, not usually the mark of a military man, but he thought it made him look as old as he felt. He grew tired of war. And he grew tired of wondering what had become of the girl.

Whenever he heard news of her, he would play it over and over again, some holovid recording of her or some deciphered Resistance transmission.

It gave the Stormtroopers cause to talk. He didn't care. They could say what they liked. He only wanted to be near her.

He hadn't noticed that the talk had made him a pariah. Not fit to lead any longer. He seemed unhinged, if only because he was.

When the news reached him that she had become a Jedi, he wasn't surprised. When he was told she was training other Force-users, many of them children, he smiled. He could imagine her like that, surrounded by children and he thought she might have finally built a family for herself.

It was then he decided he couldn't pursue her with such vengeance any longer, she'd found what she'd wanted. And it hadn't been him.

Then one day Supreme Leader Yuulis died suddenly of heart failure, and after that, bit by bit things began to unravel. Soldiers began to desert, then officers, then commanders, then he found himself alone. Even Millicent eventually left him. His contingency had grown so small he almost couldn't bear the title of Grand Admiral without a laugh.

Then the Republic gained back their power, and he was insignificant. He went into hiding and was never able to find peace jumping from star system to star system every few weeks. The authorities caught up with him eventually, in hiding on Q'sella in the outer rim. They brought him back to Coruscant to stand trial for war crimes.

When he did see her again, it was in the Coruscant holding cell where he awaited his trial, a foolish notion, but one thing that the Republic enjoyed more than anything was their public displays. And it was all a display.

She stood in the corner, cloaked in darkness, but he knew it was her. A boy stood with her, roughly ten years old if he had to guess. The boy had light brown, almost sandy blonde hair and he was tall, handsome even.

Why had she brought the boy?

"Armitage?" She said timidly.

She'd never said his first name before. He went rigid.

"I wanted you to meet Kellan," she said as she led the boy forward. He stood in front of her, her hands resting on the boy's shoulders.

"He's ten," she said quietly. "He's a very smart boy. Just like his father. In fact, I would say he's brilliant. A tactician in the making."

The boy's face belonged to his mother, but the boy's eyes. A sea green that he could only really see when the boy stepped into the light. A cold dread shot through him. He knew those eyes. They stared back at him from every mirror.

Was she toying with him again?

"Kellan," he said the name, feeling it on his tongue. It was a good name. "What's your surname?"

The boy glanced back at his mother and then took another step toward the cell.

"Solo," he said.

The Grand Admiral bit his lip, "I see."

"Could you give us a moment?" Rey asked her son. The boy swallowed and raised a hand to the Grand Admiral as he turned to leave.

"It was," he paused. "It was nice to meet you, sir."

The Grand Admiral gave him a nod, "and you." The boy certainly was polite.

Once the boy was gone his dread changed to fury.

"I searched for you," he said.

"I know."

"I looked for you everywhere."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" He felt a quiver in his face, his eyes were stinging, tears cascading down the sides of his cheeks. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I couldn't," she said. "No one knows. No one. Not even Leia."

He bit the inside of his cheek.

"You were protecting him?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes," was all she said by way of reply.

"Ren doesn't know?" He asked.

She shook her head, "No, _Ben_ doesn't know."

"Did he ever know?" He couldn't help but ask. "Did he ever know about us?"

She shook her head again, "There was never an _us_."

"It was always Ren then," he said hoarsely. "You used me?"

She gave him a look, "Is that what you thought?"

"I thought you might have— I was foolish," he finished.

"You were so heartbroken about your wife," she began, "and you were so kind to me. I wanted to do something for you. You were practically in my head the whole time with all your thoughts."

"So, it was all pity?" He said, suddenly very weary.

She looked away, "no, I didn't expect you to be like you were. I expected to hate you, but I didn't."

He swallowed, "Did Ren ever know what really happened?"

"He sensed something. I didn't want to lie to him, and in the end, he didn't really want to know," she said miserably. "He thought it was just a kiss. I couldn't bear to tell him."

"All this time, you could've, _we_ could've." The tears wouldn't stop, they were clouding his vision. Why now? Near the end of his life would fate throw him this gift?

A child. A child would've been a chance to start anew. He might've done anything for a child.

"Tell me you didn't know about the child till after," he said urgently.

"How could I? We were only together the one night," She said. "I didn't know till I was well into my second trimester. And by then. . . Well, I couldn't tell you. I was afraid. Ren thought he might be a child of the Force."

"Well then, I suppose you're lucky he wasn't a redhead," he snapped.

"Please," she said. "You still have time to change your plea. You could say that Snoke controlled you. Ben told his story, and he was released."

"You know Snoke never controlled me the way he did Ren."

"You could tell them how you helped us kill Snoke." She offered.

He shook his head, "I served the First Order for over a decade after that."

"Then you've made your choice?" She asked.

"If I had freedom, what good would that do me?" He asked, searching her face. He could barely see her in the darkness. "I can't be the boy's father now. You've already given him Ren's name. I'm nothing to the boy. But that was your choice. If I live, I have nothing. If I die, at least I can find some peace."

"It's your choice now," she said almost sternly.

"You gave me no choice at all," he said sharply.

"I tried, I tried to make you understand," she said. "But you didn't, you never would. Ben understood eventually."

"My duty. My loyalty," he said firmly. "Was always to the First Order. To make the galaxy better."

"I know."

"I didn't have a family to come back to like Ren did," he said gently.

He thought she might be crying too, she gave a strained sob and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Is the boy like you?" He asked.

"Can he use the Force?" She said. "Yes, he can. He's very strong."

"What did you tell him about me? Did you tell him why you brought him here to see me?"

"I told him," she paused, "he reads a lot. He's studied every tactician. All the Grand Admirals and war heroes on both sides. I think you and Thrawn are his favorites. I—I told him not to worry about what people said about you. Everyone does bad things. Horrible things. We're human. We all make mistakes. I told him you were kind to me when I was a prisoner. That I knew you had a good heart."

"So, I'm a school project for him then?" He said painfully.

"Well," she said softly. "I couldn't think of another way for him to see you. But I knew I couldn't go on forever with you not knowing."

"Do you love him?" He asked.

"Ren?" She asked, confused.

"No," he swallowed. "Do you love the boy?"

"With all my heart," she said. "I love him more than I love myself."

"Does Ren love the boy?" He asked.

"He loves him as much as I do," she replied.

"Good," he said, sagging against the wall. "That's all I need to know. Please go."

She left.

He didn't see her again until the trial. When the witnesses filed in and there, she was, in full light. He was surprised to find her belly swollen with child and from the protective way the unmasked Kylo Ren followed behind her he is sure who the father is.

For a moment, he wanted to ask Ren if it was worth it, losing all that power. Was _she_ worth it?

But he had only to see the pained expression of love etched into every cleft of Ren's face to know that it was.

The Grand Admiral had been raised to believe that power was the only thing in life truly worth having. But he suddenly felt something, a strong regret that he might have been wrong in this. Perhaps power was not the only thing in life that gave happiness. Though the truth was, he had not seen much evidence in his life for love bringing happiness, real lasting happiness anyway.

He gazed around the room, wondering if any of Ren's Knights were among his accusers. But, he wouldn't recognize them without their masks. He saw General Organa, seated next to Dameron and FN-2187. He caught the former stormtroopers eyes. Nothing but hate there. Maybe a little disgust.

Odd, that Ren wasn't seated by his mother. He wondered mildly if that meant those wounds had never entirely healed.

The petite girl next to FN-2187 was the same one that had bitten him all those years ago, she scowled at him, leaning in to take FN's hand.

His attention went back to Rey. He watched her as she walked to the podium, she didn't look at him. As the new Jedi Master of the Republic, he supposed this was part of her duty. She lifted her datapad with one hand, absently stroking her belly while she read his war crimes aloud.

The list was long and took her nearly ten minutes to conclude. When she finished, she lowered the datapad and finally met his eyes, leveling a stare back at him that reminded him of the look she gave him aboard the transport to _the Finalizer_ all those years ago.

"Grand Admiral Armitage Hux," she said loud and clear into the microphone, "You have heard your charges. How do you plead?"

"Guilty," he replied without hesitation. He knew there was no use, he had committed each and every act she described. But he knew they were only considered crimes because he had lost. The First Order had lost.

"You are aware that the sentence for such crimes is death?" She asked. "Do you wish to change your plea?"

"No," he replied. He didn't fear what was to come.

He smiled at her, "But I do have a last request."

"And that is?"

"I ask that I die by your hand," he said.

In truth, he had given her everything. He might as well give her his life too.

She seemed to swallow hard and looked back at the witnesses. Or possibly back at Ren, he couldn't be sure.

He saw Ren shift in his seat, glaring at him. He found himself hoping that the baby would be fortunate enough to get its mother's nose and not its father's.

"Is that all?" She asked.

"That's everything," he said.

"We will proceed then," she said, voice almost trembling.

He nearly laughed. It was barely a trial. It was only a public execution. A chance for the Republic to show its strength.

She made her way down the walkway, one hand resting on her belly, the other fingering the clasp of her lightsaber, dangling loosely from her hip. She stopped directly in front of him, and their eyes met. He could see it then, the turmoil in them, the glistening of tears. He hoped they were for him. For a moment he thought she wouldn't do it, she didn't move. Then she pursed her lips and sighed, unclasping the lightsaber and raising it above her head.

He was already kneeling in front of her. He wouldn't stoop to bow his head, however. He gave her a look, hoping to convey everything he'd ever felt for her, and he was certain she understood. She took a deep breath.

The hissing buzz of her lightsabers ignition broke the silence of the auditorium.

He closed his eyes and waited.


End file.
